Pinkie The Match-Maker
by Ficta Scriptor
Summary: Fluttershy yearns for a family of her own but is too shy around stallions for her own good. When Pinkie Pie discovers that her friend has a crush on Big Macintosh, she makes it her personal mission to bring the two together, whether they like it or not!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Loneliness and Marzipan Houses

It was a frosty evening in the middle of winter and Fluttershy was by the lake with a loaf of bread, kindly offering pieces to a family of pleased ducks that quacked happily upon her arrival. She smiled cheerfully and broke off several bite-sized portions, dropping them gently into the edge of the lake. The young ducks ate their meal and quacked a small 'thank you' in return.

This was where Fluttershy felt the most comfortable, when she was helping animals and basking in the glory of mother-nature. As fascinating as the natural world was, she knew that it could be cruel and terrifying. She'd witnessed poor, defenceless creatures die in her hooves and would often find the remains of a once cute, furry little animal strewn across the forest floor. When she first discovered her love for animals; the stark realisation of the circle of life and all that it entailed had scarred her. It took her many years to get over her fears, instead remembering that it's the joy that you can bring animals while they're alive that matters most.

As she dished out the last of the bread, the younglings paddled their way to their parents. The duck couple waved with one wing and Fluttershy waved back. "Don't forget to keep warm this winter!" she called out. The ducks nodded and went on their way, the family huddling together and looking as happy as could be.

The yellow pegasus watched them and felt a hint of sadness grasp at her heart. She had tended to so many animal families over the years, and in a sense she felt that the animals she kept as pets _were _her family, but she knew that it was stupid to think in such a way. She yearned to have a family of her own. Ponies had often made comments about how she'd make a great mother, and while she'd taken the compliment with a smile, part of her just wanted to break down and cry.

She'd never been romantically involved with a stallion before. In fact, she'd barely spoken to stallions _at all_, and especially not in an effort to pursue a relationship. She had never really spoken to her friends about meeting a stallion either. Rarity had once offered to set her up with a client of hers, but she was far too embarrassed to even talk about it. She simply didn't know how she could ever form a bond with a male pony, and the idea of physical intimacy made her feel weak. It seemed like a lost cause. Sighing to herself, she trotted away from the lake with her head held low, ready for another night spent alone.

"No peeking, now! You wouldn't want to ruin the surprise!"

"Uh… sure thing Pinkie…"

Pinkie had blindfolded Mr and Mrs Cake and was shuffling them towards Sugarcube Corner's kitchen. It was something that they'd grown used to over the years, but they were never really sure what to expect. Ever since she'd revealed the infamous 'exploding donuts' they had been especially wary. Pinkie's heart was always in the right place, but it didn't mean she couldn't cause unwanted misery.

"OK, just a little further… Now stop!"

Mr and Mrs Cake stopped in their tracks. Pinkie whipped off their blindfolds and gestured towards her crowning achievement. The Cake couple smiled weakly in unison as they looked over what lay before them.

"Wow, Pinkie," Mr Cake said, not quite believing his eyes. "You've built a gingerbread house. A really, really big one."

"Oh, no, no, no!" Pinkie chirped excitedly, hopping over to the colourful house that took up almost half of the entire kitchen. "This isn't just gingerbread. It's everything! I used marzipan for the roof tiles, icing for the window frames, taffy for the doorframe, milk chocolate for the walls, even cotton candy for the smoke coming from the chimney! And look!" The pink mare pulled open the house's door. "Rock candy for door hinges!"

"But Pinkie," Mrs Cake trembled, taking a closer look at the sugary behemoth. "Where are we going to put this? And how did you get all the ingredients for something this big?"

"You can leave it right here! As for the ingredients, you may need to restock the cupboards. Anyway, I thought this would be a great playhouse for Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake! They can play in it, and if they get hungry, they don't even need to get out!"

As the speechless couple shared a sigh in unison, their will to argue spent, Pinkie skipped past them and began sorting through a stash of streamers, balloons, banners and various other bits and bobs in the clearly marked, 'Pinkie's Party Pantry'. She decided on cool, wintery colours like blue and silver to line the edges of the room, setting aside some glittery tinsel. She wouldn't be able to start decorating until the following evening, but she wanted to have everything planned to the finest detail because this would be her best party _ever_! Of course, this is what she always strived for with each new party, but this time was going to be different.

Pinkie glanced over her guest list, a picture of each pony next to a ticked box to signify that she'd delivered their invitation. There was of course: Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Applejack and Rarity. Spike had been invited, but she didn't expect him to be there. Twilight had only said that he would feel uncomfortable being there and nothing more, but Pinkie knew that it must have something to do with Rarity. It _always _had something to do with Rarity where Spike was concerned. There was also Derpy Hooves, Colgate, Lyra, Bon Bon, Berry Punch, Vinyl Scratch and Octavia. Pinkie felt that in order to make her parties even better she had to expand her horizons beyond the other elements of harmony. Also, she was curious about Bon Bon's 'voices' and what Derpy would be like after a few drinks. Vinyl Scratch would take care of the music, which meant one less thing for her to worry about.

Pinkie finished categorizing her party decorations, ended her night with a mug of hot chocolate and went to bed. As much as she wanted to sleep so that she could see tomorrow sooner, she fidgeted in her bed for nearly two hours, gleefully imagining the amazingness that her party would achieve. She could see Twilight and Octavia chatting intelligently about scientific music and musical science. She could see Vinyl Scratch teaching Rainbow Dash how to be a DJ, and Rainbow failing miserably. She just knew that this party would be her greatest achievement, even better than the marzipan playhouse she'd made! Eventually, the hyped-up mare drifted off to sleep, dreaming of all the fun that they were bound to have.

"_Cock-a-doodle-doo!" _

Fluttershy was awoken by her pet cockerel that stood proudly atop the roof of her house. She rubbed her eyes and stretched. Normally she was the type of mare who could get up and go without any trouble, but today wasn't the case. Dwelling on her misfortune had only exhausted her. She began to wonder if every morning for the rest of her life would be like this – No pitter-patter of a foal's hooves against the wood flooring and no handsome stallion led next to her, whispering "Good morning," into her ear with each new day. Instead, she only heard the loud thumping of an impatient rabbit with a growling stomach.

"OK, Angel. I'll make breakfast right away."

It was a pleasant enough morning, with a virtually cloudless sky and the harmonious chirping of birds beyond the window. Fluttershy diligently whipped up a salad for both Angel and herself, then got to work on feeding the rest of her animals. It was an arduous, time-consuming task, but after so many years she was used to it.

With the animals fed, she slumped onto her sofa gracelessly. There was plenty of housework to do; she'd promised to help Rainbow Dash with her pet tortoise, Tank, and there was Pinkie's evening party to look forward to. None of these things were particularly note-worthy as far as her life was concerned. As much as she loved helping animals and partying with Pinkie, the unwavering routine of her life was beginning to get her down. It had been a long time since she'd had any kind of crazy adventure with her friends. It had been far too long. Even though she was shy, timid and often cowardly, it didn't mean that she didn't crave excitement. If she was busy saving the world or travelling to faraway places then she wouldn't be left mulling over her pathetic existence. The pegasus sighed and grabbed a duster. The house wasn't going to clean itself.

"Now Pinkie, make sure you don't let anypony go anywhere but the main shop floor and the bathroom."

"You've got it Mr C!"

"And don't be too loud."

"Understood!"

"And make sure the party is over by eleven at the latest. I don't want Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake getting disturbed."

"You betcha!"

"And… and Pinkie?"

"Yuh-huh?"

"Can you _not_ balance a cupcake on your nose while I'm talking to you?"

Pinkie flipped the cupcake into the air and caught it in her mouth with ease. "Mmm hmmm!"

Mr Cake sighed and muttered something under his breath before wandering upstairs. Pinkie quickly gobbled up her cupcake and began pacing up and down the room in anticipation of her friends' arrival. There was a buffet already laid out with cupcakes, muffins, sweet-rolls, punch, salad, cheesecake, trifle, jelly, crisps, pretzels and an assortment of other snacks. Most of the cooking had been done by Pinkie herself, with a few things that were bought with the money she'd earned from pulling extra shifts.

It was nearing 6 o' clock, and Pinkie was beginning to get anxious. "Where could they be?!" she said aloud, pulling back the curtains and peering out the window. Just as she did so, there was a knock at the door. Feeling a sudden burst of energy, she leapt to the door and opened it excitedly. Stood outside was white unicorn with a spiky blue mane.

"Wazzup, Pinkie Pie!" Vinyl Scratch cheered as she entered, levitating a portable turntable and some records.

"Welcome! Oh, and nothing's up. Oh wait, you mean my party! In that case, everything is um… up!"

"Sweet as sugar," Vinyl replied casually as she set up her decks at the side of the room. "Octavia will be here later. She's just spending the best part of a decade sprucing herself up with makeup. Hey, do you have anything to drink? Something strong would be awesome."

"Oh, Mr Cake has a secret stash of rum in the kitchen. I could get some of that if you wanted."

"Sounds good. It's been way too long since I got hammered. It's been… like… a week."

Pinkie rummaged through the compartment at the back of one of the cupboards and presented a bottle of Griffonian rum to Vinyl Scratch. As the eccentric DJ roguishly took a swig straight from the bottle, the party pony danced giddily as she saw Twilight and Rarity approach the bakery. This would be the best party, ever!

Fluttershy clicked off the lights, sighing weakly as her silhouette was cast across the cottage floor. The empty cottage. The lonely cottage. She stroked back her mane and took a deep breath, curving the corners of her mouth into a smile, the same smile she'd practiced in front of the mirror for the past few years. Vaguely satisfied, she closed the door and began her flight to Sugarcube Corner. Hopefully, being with her friends tonight would take her mind off things.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – A Helping Hoof

"No, no, **you **should come 'n' see… Come 'n' see me play," Octavia slurred, sipping her mojito. "It's gonna be like… _wow_."

"Oh I will, I will," replied Twilight, propping herself up against the wall for support. "And I'll cheer louder than _everypony_. I would _love _to watch you play." Stumbling a little, she prodded the musician on the shoulder, almost sending her to the floor.

"I think maybe you should stop drinkin'," Octavia said in a serious tone, before bursting into a fit of giggles, attempting to down her drink but spewing most of it across the room.

"Octavia! Say it, don't spray it!" Twilight squealed, entering a fit of laughter herself.

"Hey! How's everypony doing?" Pinkie piped up, appearing between the two mares. "You both seem to be having fun!"

"Pinkie, Pinkie, Pinkie," Octavia muttered, embracing the pink party pony. "You've made me a very happy pony. You said to me… and you were right…" The chocolate-maned mare paused, wincing as if staring intently into her own memories. "Nope, I've forgotten. But thanks!"

"Glad to hear it!" Pinkie chimed, bouncing off and leaving Twilight to catch the inebriated cellist.

"All Ah'm sayin' is there ain't nothin' wrong with it," said Applejack, wolfing down another pretzel. "Ah never said you were into _that_. Ah just said that if you _were_, ain't nothin' would change between us."

"I already told you!" cried Rainbow Dash, thumping her hoof down on the table. "I'm not a lesbian! Why is it so hard for you to understand that?"

"Listen, sugarcube. Ah know what yer sayin', and Ah for one ain't never suspected that you were, but all Ah meant was _if _you were—"

"Oh, can it!" Rainbow ordered grumpily, scrunching up another can of cider with her forehead. "How can I be that way inclined if I have the hots for your cousin, Braeburn? In fact, I've got a bar of soap with his name on it!"

"Now that is just disgustin'!" Applejack shot back. "Ain't no reason to go talkin' about mah family like that! Or any kind of sanitary product for that matter!"

Fluttershy sat to the side of the two mares, twiddling her hooves awkwardly as she waited for the heat between them to die down. She'd come to this party to get away from her personal problems, but even being in a crowded room, with ponies dancing and chattering, she felt so alone. Of course she was shy, but there had to be some other reason why she was always the first to fall from the group. Was she just not good enough for anypony? Regardless of whether they were a mare or a stallion? A friend or a lover?

The yellow pegasus never told anypony, but she somehow felt as if she was always in the background. She couldn't help but feel like the rest of the world would get on fine without her, as if the only reason she had friends was because she just happened to be an Element of Harmony. Without that, she'd be _nothing. _Just a cowardly pegasus who didn't even have the confidence to talk to anypony about her problems. It was contradictory, in a way. She was shy by name and shy by nature. Being the centre of attention was terrible, but being alone — _completely _alone — was worse.

"… isn't that right, Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash finished, waiting for an answer.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Could you repeat the question?"

The cyan pony rolled her eyes. "I said that everypony has the hots for someone at some point. Be honest, Fluttershy. Is there a stallion you've got your eye on?"

"Oh… um…" Fluttershy began to blush uncontrollably, scratching her head anxiously as she tried to think of a way out of the situation. "I don't have my eye on anypony," she said calmly.

"Oh come on, you can tell us!" Rainbow said slyly. "Don't tell me your wings weren't on the brink of popping off when we met Braeburn!"

"No... I don't think that way about anypony," she protested, becoming increasingly flustered.

"Not unless you have a crush that's a little closer to home," Dash said, her smile widening. "I wonder if—"

"Now Ah think that's enough!" commanded Applejack. "Ain't no need to go interrogatin' the poor mare!"

_The poor mare, _Fluttershy thought to herself. _You couldn't have said it any better, AJ._

At the other end of the room, Vinyl Scratch had taken a short break from the decks to finish off 'her' bottle of rum, leaving the music on a pre-set track list. As Pinkie Pie bounced around, checking up on her guests, the white unicorn called her over.

"Isn't this party just the _best_?" the excitable earth pony exclaimed, hoof-bumping the air.

"It's great," Vinyl responded with, a little unenthusiastically.

"Um, Scratchy? Is something up?" Pinkie asked, furrowing her brow with concern. "Are you not having a good time?"

The frizzy-maned unicorn sighed, summoning up the courage to say what needed to be said. "This party is great and all, but there's something missing."

"Animal crackers?"

"No, Pinkie. You throw great parties — that's obvious — but I can't help but feel this party is… Well, to put it bluntly, it's a total fish market."

"A what?"

"You know... a box factory."

"Huh?"

"A clam bake?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Pinkie said confusedly.

Vinyl groaned, shaking her head. "Where's the meat!?"

"But Scratchy, we're ponies. We don't eat meat!"

"Speak for yourself." Vinyl sighed, taking another swig of rum. "What I'm trying to say is, this party needs _guys_. Food? Great. Drink? Great. Music? Well, it wouldn't be anything less than amazing with me here. The eye candy? Not so great."

"I never heard of candy for your eyes," Pinkie commented, stroking her chin. "I'll make sure to do some research for my next party! Thanks for the suggestion, Scratchy!"

Vinyl sighed once again, realising that she was fighting a losing battle. "Sure, whatever."

"Um, excuse me," Fluttershy asked quietly as she tried navigating her way through the crowd. "Pardon me." She made her way past Derpy, whose eyes had almost completely straightened, thanks in part to alcohol. Lyra and Bon Bon were dancing, and Rarity was — to put it politely — trying to dance, but failing miserably.

The noise, the laughter, the _smell_, Fluttershy just wanted to get away. She wasn't having a good time here. In fact, it only made her think of how much happier everypony else was than her. Even Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who had spent much of the night arguing, were still jolly and carefree. Twilight and Rarity appeared to have made new friends, and everypony was having a good time, just like they were supposed to. So why not her? Why? She'd enjoyed Pinkie's parties before, but now, for some reason…

"What'cha up to, Fluttershy?" Pinkie chirped, appearing in front of her and blocking the way out. "You're leaving already?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Pinkie," the pegasus replied. "It's just that I promised to give Angel a bath before he goes to bed tonight. I really should get going. Thanks for the party, as always."

"Thanks for coming, as always!" the pink pony replied, almost strangling Fluttershy with a hug. "And my next party will be even better! I just need to find some candy for eyes."

"That's nice," she replied softly, breaking free from Pinkie's vice grip. "Goodbye."

Without waiting for another response, Fluttershy opened up the bakery door, stepped outside, slammed it shut, and took a deep breath. The cool evening air was admittedly refreshing, but not enough to quell her oncoming headache. It had all become simply too much. With her head hung low, she began the trek home. There, she would spend the night alone, day in, day out, for the rest of her days. All that was left was to find comfort in seclusion.

Not looking where she was going, the pegasus walked head-on into another pony, falling to the ground with a squeal of pain.

"Oh mah goodness, are you OK, Fluttershy? Ah'm awfully sorry."

"It's OK, I'm fine. I just…" The young mare trailed off as she looked up to see Big Macintosh's enormous, caring green eyes staring deeply into her own. She felt her cheeks grow hotter as the stare continued, eventually forcing her to look away.

Inside Sugarcube corner, Vinyl Scratch called Pinkie over to the window. The party pony peered out curiously as the unicorn pointed to the two ponies just outside.

"_That's _what I'm talking about," the DJ said with a wry smile.

"You mean Big Mac?" Pinkie asked, furrowing her brow. "Does he know about eye candy?"

"It takes one to know one. Do you see what we're missing out on if you don't extend your guest list a little bit? I'm pretty sure every one of your friends would be grateful, too. Maybe not Rainbow Dash, but that's beside the point. You know, he reminds me of this stallion I used to know at school. Woody, I think his name was. Anyway…"

As Vinyl scratch blabbered on, Pinkie barely listened. She simply kept her eyes fixed on the two ponies outside, her smile growing with every second.

"It's alright, I should really have been watching where I was going," Fluttershy mumbled, her legs feeling weak as Big Mac helped her up. Her heart raced as the stallion smiled politely, his face barely a foot away from hers. If she could only build up the courage to just lean forward…

"Don't worry about it," the red pony said dismissively. "Ah should have been payin' attention too. You had a good time at the party?"

"Oh, yes," Fluttershy lied, smiling weakly. "How… How did you know I was at a party?"

"Ah'm guessin' it's the same one mah stubborn sister is at," he replied with a chuckle. "She's supposed to be back home by now. The last time she stayed out late Ah had to drag her out of bed in the mornin'. Guess I'd better get to it. G'night, Fluttershy."

"Oh, of course…" she whispered disappointedly, shifting her gaze away. "Good night."

Big Mac nodded, pressing on to Sugarcube Corner. Fluttershy watched him for a few more seconds, her heart still pounding against her chest. As the stallion was welcomed inside, she turned away, continuing her journey home, not looking back. What point was there in looking back at something she would never have?

"Applejack!"

"What? Oh, for Pete's sake!" Applejack glared angrily at her brother. "Ah'm _fine_ to stay here, Big Mac."

"That's what you said last time," he said matter-of-factly. "An' we all know how that went."

As the two siblings continued bickering, Applejack finally conceding to her brother's wishes and going home, Pinkie was looking intently at Big Mac, rubbing her hooves together as she hatched a dastardly plan. She knew what she had to do.

"_I just don't know what it is, but sometimes, I get so lonely. I just want somepony to be there for me."_

_Big Mac grinned, running a hoof through Fluttershy's mane. "Ain't no need for anypony to be lonely," he whispered softly, pulling her closer. "Ah can't let that happen, not on mah watch."_

"_Oh, Big Mac…" Fluttershy wrapped her forelegs around him, embracing him as tightly as she could. "You don't know how much this means to me."_

"_It makes me happy, too." Big Mac kissed her cheek tenderly, his chest expanding and contracting against hers. "You're an amazing pony, you know that? Ah ain't never seen such a beautiful mare in all my years."_

"_Hold me," she replied, tears of joy trickling down her face. "Hold me and don't ever let go…"_

"_Ah wouldn't dream of it."_

_The two ponies locked eyes, running their hooves across each other's necks. They locked lips in a passionate kiss, nothing else in the world mattering but the bond they shared. Their bodies entwined, Fluttershy beamed from ear to ear. She had never been this happy…_

**CRASH!**

The bowl slipped from Fluttershy's hooves, smashing into a thousand pieces on the floor. She groaned, reaching for a dustpan and brush as the daydream fizzled away into nothingness. _I'm so pathetic, _she cursed inwardly, shovelling the pieces into a waste bin. The events of the night before were still fresh in her mind as she carried about with her morning routine. Animals needed to be fed, whether or not she wanted to just lay in bed and imagine a better day.

Her feelings for Big Mac weren't exactly new, but it wasn't until the night before that she'd actually spoken to him alone. She'd always thought fondly of him, recognising his kindness and good-will, as well as his impressive physique. But any thoughts of being with him were cut short as she thought of how awkward things might get between herself and Applejack. Then there was the fact that if Big Mac could get practically any mare he wanted, why would he pick her? And yet, that moment outside Sugarcube Corner had changed something. Right now, what she wanted most was to be huddled up next to him. She wanted it so much; she thought her heart might burst.

With her pets fed, Fluttershy heard a knock at the door. Expecting the mail-pony, she put on a brave face and opened up. Just outside, Pinkie Pie was stood with a joyous expression on her face.

"Oh, hello Pinkie," the pegasus greeted. "Can I help you with something?"

"Actually, I'm the one who's going to help _you_," Pinkie Pie said slyly, her grin expanding.

"Help _me_?" Fluttershy asked curiously. "What do I need help with?"

"I'll tell you _all _about it!" she replied jubilantly. "As soon as we visit Sweet Apple Acres…"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Sweet Apple Romance

"Pinkie, please tell me what we're doing!" Fluttershy pleaded, reluctantly following her excitable friend.

"I have to show you something, first!" the pink mare replied. "Trust me, you're gonna love it!"

"Are you sure? What do you want to show me?"

"I can't tell you _that_. It'll ruin the surprise! But believe me, you'll be glad you left your cottage."

Fluttershy was used to Pinkie's eccentricity — the cheerful pony was notorious for crazy ideas that she liked to spring onto others — but for some reason this particular outing to Sweet Apple Acres made her feel uneasy. Pinkie still had the usual foalish grin splashed on her face, but her expression bore something else. Not 'sinister' per se, but she had a certain air of unruliness about her. Something strange was going on…

"Does Applejack need our help?" Fluttershy asked, trying to get to the bottom of things. "Is she pushing herself too hard again?"

"Applejack's _always _pushing herself too hard," Pinkie said matter-of-factly, making no obvious attempt to give a straight answer.

"So we're _not _going there to speak to Applejack?"

"No. Oh wait, yes!" the mare corrected, leaping into the air with glee. "Good thinking, Fluttershy! I should speak with Applejack! Look at you, coming up with all the best ideas even though you haven't got a clue as to why we're heading there in the first place! That's pretty impressive if you ask me."

It was far from the answer that she had expected, and was even further from an answer that she'd have liked. It might have seemed dangerously suspicious, but this was Pinkie Pie, for Celestia's sake. She'd never do anything… morally questionable, would she?

"Pinkie, is there something I should know?" Fluttershy asked timidly.

"All you need to know is that I have a surprise for you. Honestly, I've given away too much as it is."

For the rest of the journey, the jolly earth pony remained oddly tight-lipped, which was difficult for Fluttershy to get used to when it came to one of the biggest chatterboxes in Ponyville. Even Pinkie's trademark bounce appeared to be reined in, as if the mare was genuinely nervous or apprehensive. It was undeniably worrying, but the pegasus reminded herself that she could trust her friend completely, even if she was a bit kooky at times.

With _that _inner turmoil settled, Fluttershy began speculating on the reason for this in the first place. She knew that they were headed for Sweet Apple Acres, and that they apparently weren't there to speak with Applejack. Or at least, _she _wasn't there to speak with Applejack. Had Pinkie arranged some kind of surprise party? It was definitely plausible.

As they neared the farm, Pinkie brought her fore-hooves to her eyes in a pair of mock binoculars. "Hmm… Now where could you be?" she muttered to herself.

"What are you looking for?"

"Not looking for!" the earth pony replied cheerily, putting the pretend binoculars away into an invisible saddlebag. "Found! Now hurry up! You don't want to miss your chance!"

Having come this far already, Fluttershy plodded along after the joyful mare, still trying to figure out what she was up to. Instead of heading for Applejack's front door, Pinkie led her across the farm's surrounding field, over the fence and out towards the orchard. Fluttershy was sure that she could hear apple-bucking up ahead — an Applejack trademark if there ever was one — and breathed a small sigh of relief. For a moment she was concerned that they were…

Just up ahead, Big Mac came into view. His back turned to them, he bucked hard against a tree, ridding it of every single apple in one fell swoop. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he flicked back his mane. To anypony else, it would just be a stallion working under the sun. But to Fluttershy, she was witnessing something magnificent.

"I know, right?" Pinkie whispered into the pegasus' ear, breaking the trance.

"Know… know what?"

Pinkie took a step back, glancing towards Big Mac and raising her eyebrows suggestively. "Those strong, muscular legs… He's pretty hot, right?"

Fluttershy felt her entire face surge with heat. As much as she tried to keep her composure, it was impossible. "Um… I… I guess so. I don't really—"

"Yes you _do_," Pinkie interrupted with in a sultry voice. "I saw you after the party, Fluttershy."

"You… you saw me?" the pegasus trembled, thinking back to her previous encounter with the stallion.

"Uh-huh!" the party pony answered with a sly grin. "Or I guess as Big Mac would say, _eeyup_."

That last word made Fluttershy gulp with fear. Suddenly, it all made sense. This was the entire reason Pinkie had dragged her out here. "What are you going to do?" she asked worriedly.

"Me?" Pinkie asked, looking perplexed. "I'm not doing anything! Oh, except for distracting Applejack if she shows up. We wouldn't want her to mess things up when you ask her brother out on a date, would we?"

Fluttershy gulped again. "D–Date!? But Pinkie Pie, I can't do that!"

"Sure you can! Just go over there and ask if he wants to go out with you some time."

"I… I couldn't do that! I… I have to get home and give Angel another bath!"

The pegasus tried to make a break for it, but Pinkie had latched onto her tail, pulling the mare back to the ground. "Oh no you don't," Pinkie said, a serious expression on her face. It was enough to shock Fluttershy into staying still. "You like him, right?"

"I… I guess so."

"You want to spend time with him, right?"

"I… Well, perhaps."

"You want to _kiss _him, right?"

Fluttershy tried to speak, but her only response was a faint squeak followed by an exasperated sigh. Sweating all over and feeling more flustered than ever, she took another glance at the red stallion several metres away. She _did _like him, and she _did _want to be with him. She could go on merely fantasizing about kissing him, but what if there was a chance that it could happen for real?

"Well don't just stand there!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Go on over and ask him out. You're Fluttershy, and you're cute as a button! What are you?"

"I'm… cute as a button?"

"Right! There's no way Big Mac could say no to you!" The jolly mare paused, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "In fact, I always had a feeling about you two."

Fluttershy's eyes widened in surprise. "You did?"

"Yep. At least, it was either you or Cheerilee. You'd better make your move before that naughty teacher snaps him up!"

"You're right!" Fluttershy got to her hooves and took a deep breath. "I can do this. I think I can really do this!"

"What are you?"

"I'm cute as a button."

"What are you!?"

"I'm cute as a button!"

Pinkie stomped her hooves down. "Now go out there and bag yourself a sexy stallion!"

Fluttershy took a deep breath and charged forward with a confident stride, her eyes focused on her target. _This is it,_ she thought, psyching herself up. _You have to do this. _

"Well howdy!" came a recognisable voice, breaking the pegasus' concentration. "What brings you here?"

"Oh, hi Applejack," Fluttershy said meekly, downplaying the fact that she'd almost leapt away in fright. "I was just out for a stroll and—"

"There you are, Applejack!" Pinkie butted in with, appearing as if by magic between the two mares. "I wanted to speak you about, um… Oh, I remember! Could you show me how to make those awesomely delicious apple crumbles?"

Applejack sighed, curving the corners of her mouth into a half-smile. "Ah'd love to show you, but maybe later. There's quite the workload needin' to be done around the farm."

"Oh, that's a shame," said Pinkie, her hair drooping slightly. "It's just that, he doesn't really have a sweet tooth, and none of my cakes have impressed him. I was hoping you could help me out."

Applejack's eyes widened, her grin broadening. "Well ah'll be a tater's grand-pappy. Are you tryin' your hoof at wooin' a stallion?"

Pinkie blushed, looking to the ground. "I'd really appreciate it if you'd help me."

"That's what friends are for, right?"

Pinkie turned momentarily towards Fluttershy, winking discreetly, before nodding energetically and putting a foreleg around Applejack. "Thanks, AJ! I'm so happy you could help me! Thanks for your help too, Fluttershy. You can go on now." The pink pony directed her eyes towards Big Mac.

"I was glad to help!" Fluttershy piped up, playing her part in Pinkie Pie's charade.

"Now, Ah have to ask who this mysterious stallion is," questioned Applejack as the two earth ponies trotted side-by-side back to her house. "He must be somethin' mighty special to hold _your _attention."

"Oh, he's just a dream!" said Pinkie with another secret wink, leading Applejack away from the strike-zone.

Fluttershy let out another deep breath, setting her sights on the whole reason she was even here. Applejack had made a good point. Friends were there for each other, right? They would help one another if they yearned for a relationship with somepony, right? Pinkie had taken it up on her own to help her like this, and she wasn't about to throw such a gesture away. Then again, she wondered what Applejack would think. Would _she _approve of this? It was her brother, after all. While Fluttershy didn't have any siblings, she considered how strange it might be if one of her friends were to become involved with them.

Thrusting those insecurities aside, the pegasus concluded that Applejack didn't have a bad bone in her body. There was no way she would flip out over something like this, especially if Big Mac also insisted on it.

With that in mind, she crept towards the oblivious stallion, putting on as brave a face as she could muster. She was about to do something that she'd never done before, and she was petrified. _I have to be strong! I have to be strong!_

"Hello?" she whispered, not even loud enough to gain the pony's attention as he tossed a few loose apples into baskets. Still determined, she repeated herself. "Hello?"

This time Big Mac _did _turn around, casting a glance that almost caused Fluttershy's face to burst. Despite her quickening pulse and erratic breathing, she felt like she was holding it together pretty well, all things considered. He paused for a moment, startled out of his routine. As he looked into her eyes his cheeks rose, curving his muscular face into a welcoming grin.

"Hi," Fluttershy said nervously, feeling a bead of sweat drop past her left eye.

"Well hello again," the stallion greeted, giving a respectful nod. "What brings you out here?"

"Um, apples?" Fluttershy replied, wanting to hit herself over the face as soon as the words left her mouth.

"Well Ah guess you came to the right place," he said with a chuckle, thankfully underplaying the mare's awkward response. "Any particular kind?"

_How about a tasty, red Macintosh, _her mind dared her to say. "Um, no. I'm not here for apples, silly me." _Just ask him!_

"Are you OK?" the stallion asked, raising an eyebrow with concern.

Fluttershy smiled weakly and nodded, feeling her heartbeat quicken. "I'm fine, thanks. I was here to ask you… something."

"Ask me what?"

"I wanted to know if you could… Um, I guess what I'm trying to say is…" _Come on Fluttershy, just go ahead and say it! The worst he could possibly say is 'no'. That's not so bad, right? Oh, who am I kidding? If he said 'no' it would be awful! It'd be terrible! _The young pegasus took a deep breath. "Date?"

Big Mac looked ponderously at her for a few moments, tilting his head like a puppy. "Eenope," he finally said.

Fluttershy's heart sank. Her smile dropped, and her eyes began to water. Lowering her head shamefully and hiding behind her mane, she sniffed sadly. "I understand. I'm sorry to have bothered you."

"Ain't no bother. Just a strange request is all."

Fluttershy wiped her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Ah'm pretty sure the name 'Sweet Apple Acres' is some kinda giveaway. If you want dates, you should go into the market. Ah'm sure there's plenty on sale. Quite frankly, Ah can't stand the things. But, each to their own."

"Oh… _oh,_" the pegasus exclaimed, finally realising what Big Mac was talking about. "Yes, I should have realised that, shouldn't I? It's not called 'Sweet Date Acres' is it?" she said with a nervous laugh. "I… I should have just gone to the market in the first place."

"Eeyup," Big Mac remarked, bucking against another tree.

"There's one more thing I need to say." _Come on now, no more beating around the bush! Tell him how you feel! _"I, um… I really like—"

"Oh, shoot!" Big Mac blurted out, his eyes widening with anxiety. "Ah just remembered Ah was s'posed to help Cheerliee today! Sorry, Fluttershy. Until next time."

"Sure…" The yellow pegasus stayed stock still, keeping up her enormous fake grin as Big Mac galloped off. Once he'd reached a fair distance away, Fluttershy collapsed into a heap, tears streaming down her face. _I should have known that I had no chance, _she thought to herself as she curled up underneath a tree and wept.

* * *

"You really need to loosen up," Cheerilee said with a chuckle, pouring another cup of tea for Big Mac. "It's hard to believe that you're getting like this."

The stallion sighed, leaning back into his friend's sofa. "Ah know. Ah really like her, and Ah think she likes me. Ah saw her today and… to tell you the truth, Ah think perhaps she thought Ah was comin' to see you 'cause, well… you know. She was smilin', but there was this look of disappointment on her face."

Cheerlie shot her friend a condescending look. "And why would you let her think a thing like that? You didn't have to tell her that you were coming to see me. Seriously, you could have at least made it clear that we're not dating."

Big Mac sighed, running a hoof across his temple. "Ah was scared. Ah worry that if we were together, it'd be weird 'cause of how she's friends with mah sister. What if somethin' happened 'tween us an' they didn't talk to each other no more? An' there's somethin' about her — this kind of raw innocence to her — and Ah wonder if Ah'd be taintin' that innocence by havin' a relationship with her."

"You can't go in wondering if things like that could happen. Instead, you should be wondering if you'll find happiness."

Big Mac smiled nervously. "Ah know, Ah know."

"So the next time you get a chance to spend time with her, grab it by the hooves! Even if it means blowing me off, at least I know you're doing it for the right reasons. Deal?"

The stallion chuckled to himself, nodding with acceptance. "Deal."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – From Doormat to Diva

Back at Fluttershy's cottage, the distraught pegasus had bundled herself up on the sofa with a duvet wrapped around her, tears cascading from her bloodshot eyes as she sobbed in self-pity. Angel — the usually grumpy bunny — had taken it upon himself to comfort the poor mare, holding onto one of her hooves with his ears drooping behind him. _I still love you, _Fluttershy imagined him saying, but it did little to alleviate the crushing despair.

"I knew it was pointless," she whispered to the pet rabbit, running a hoof across his head and holding him closer to her chest. "Why would anypony want a mare like me? He's much better off with Cheerilee anyway. At least she'll make him happy." Saying this aloud only made her feel worse, and she wrapped herself up tighter, crying harder than before.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Angel looked up at his owner expectantly but Fluttershy shook her head. On a day like today, she didn't want any visitors. She especially didn't want anypony to see her like this.

There was another knock — louder this time — followed by a voice. "Fluttershy? It's me, Pinkie." The pink mare sounded far more reserved than her usual self.

"I'm sorry, Pinkie Pie," the pegasus gave in response. "I could really do with some alone time."

"How come?" the earth pony replied, sounding as if she definitely knew the answer.

"I give up. I'm done. Thank you for trying, Pinkie, but it's a lost cause. Cheerilee won before I even had a chance."

"Nuh-uh! It's not over yet! He's not dating Cheerliee, you silly-billy!"

Fluttershy's eyes opened in shock. "He's not!? But how… How do you know?"

"Well if you open up then I can tell you! Honestly, having a conversation with a door isn't all it's cracked up to be."

Fluttershy gave a nod to Angel who quickly bounded over to the door and unlocked it. Pinkie sprang in, complete with her usual bounce and smile. Upon seeing her friend though, she gasped dramatically, leaping towards the emotional pegasus and hugging her tightly.

"Oh no, stop crying!" she pleaded. "I'll make it all better, I promise!"

"I'll be fine, Pinkie. You said that Big Mac isn't dating Cheerilee. How did you even know that's what I was upset about?"

"Oh, you see, while Applejack was showing me how to make apple crumble Big Mac zoomed past really quickly and came into the house looking for something and I said 'Hey Big Mac!' and he was all in a hurry and I wondered why he wasn't still in the orchard with you and so I said 'What'cha doin'?' and he's all like 'Gotta visit Cheerilee and fix her pipes!' and I'm all like 'Oh, OK' but then—"

"Slow down, Pinkie!" Fluttershy ordered, instantly clasping a hoof over her mouth as she realised how demanding she sounded. "I… I'm sorry. Could you take things a little slower?"

Pinkie gave a salute and continued. "As I was saying, after he said that to me I was afraid that he was dating Cheerilee too. Then I thought about you being left on that orchard all alone, and how sad you'd be because you'd be thinking the same thing. But I spoke with Applejack and she said she was absolutely certain that her brother didn't have a special somepony, and that Cheerilee was nothing more than a friend! So he really _did _go there just to fix her pipes! And I mean in the literal sense, not the 'naughty' sense."

Fluttershy wiped the last of her tears away. "So you're sure that he's single?"

"Absolutely! I asked Applejack over and over again just to be doubly sure, and since she's the element of honesty and all that, she couldn't lie about something, could she?"

Fluttershy pondered on this for a moment. "But even if he's single, that doesn't mean that he likes me. If he felt the same way I do, why would he go off to Cheerilee's?"

"But he didn't say 'no', did he?"

The pegasus paused, glancing at the floor nervously. "No…"

Pinkie clapped her hooves together jubilantly. "Great! If he didn't say 'no', it means that he might say 'yes'! Maybe he's shy, just like you! Don't give up now, Fluttershy. Just go back later and ask him out for real!"

"I… I don't think I could do that," Fluttershy trembled, shaking her head from side to side. "I'm so nervous! If he was so desperate to get to Cheerilee's then… It wouldn't have mattered anyway because even if I did ask him out he'd probably say 'no', and that would be awful…"

"Of course he'd wanna go out with you!" Pinkie cried.

"But how do you know that!?" Fluttershy retorted in a harsh tone. "I'm just 'some pony'. I'm nothing special…"

"Fluttershy, you are _so _special, and I'm not giving up on you!" Pinkie gave her friend a stern look. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure you get a chance at your 'happy ever after', and do you know why? Because you're my friend! And do you know what friends do for each other?"

"Um… help each other?" Fluttershy whispered in reply.

"Right! Now stop getting all down in the dumps and follow me!"

Fluttershy huddled herself back into her duvet. "No! I can't see him! I'm… I'm too afraid…"

"That's not the plan!" said Pinkie, breaking out into a wide grin. "You're right; maybe you're not ready to ask him out just yet. So it's time that you got a helping hoof…"

* * *

Pinkie rapped loudly on the door to the Carousel Boutique, an anxious-looking Fluttershy behind her.

"Just a moment!" called Rarity, opening up the door with her magic and spying her two friends. "Pinkie Pie? Fluttershy? What brings you two dears to my wonderful establishment?"

"Fluttershy needs a dress!" Pinkie chimed, trotting inside. "It's for something _special_."

"Oh really? That's wonderful!" the unicorn exclaimed, striding up to Fluttershy and beaming from ear to ear. "So what's the occasion?"

"If all goes as planned…" Pinkie began with a sly grin, "It'll be a wedding."

"A wedding? If all goes as planned?" Rarity raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Come on, Fluttershy, tell her!"

The young pegasus blushed, staring intently at the floor as Rarity looked at her curiously. "It… it's nothing, really. I just… wanted something to make me look nice."

The unicorn blinked, taking a few moments to look back and forth between Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. Finally, the answer dawned on her, and a joyful smile crept onto her face. "Well this is just delightful! Fluttershy, I'm ever so touched that you would come to me for this kind of help. So who's the lucky stallion?"

"I… I… um…" Fluttershy stuttered, becoming increasingly flustered. "It's… it's nothing like that…"

"So, a mare then?" Rarity asked confusedly. "I must admit, I never would've taken you for a filly-fooler. But I guess it would be crass of me to make such assumptions."

"It's Big Mac!" the pegasus belted out in exasperation, taking both Rarity and herself by surprise. Pinkie, however, still grinned much the same as she usually did. "I mean… um…"

Rarity's eyes lit up, her expression morphing into one of foalish glee. "Big Mac? Oh, sweet heavens!"

"Is… is something wrong?"

"Not at all, darling! In fact, this is excellent news! Why, you two would make the most adorable couple. Just picture it! The timid young pegasus meets the stallion of her dreams, a stocky farm-pony with a kind heart. After winning over his affections you both gallop off into the sunset… Why, it'd be the greatest love story in Ponyville history!" Rarity fainted to the floor in a fit of giddiness, her eyes glazed over as she giggled to herself.

"Which is why we need your help!" Pinkie Pie piped up, bouncing back and forth over the grounded unicorn. "We need the most super-duper dress to make Fluttershy look super-duper pretty! We need something special — something that Big Mac could never ever say 'no' to."

"Yes! Of course!" Rarity exclaimed, springing back into action. "Follow me, Fluttershy! First I need to take some measurements and… Oh, this is going to be so much fun!"

Fluttershy hesitantly slinked after the rejuvenated unicorn, receiving a friendly wink from Pinkie. Feeling a touch of the nerves, she took three deep breaths. _Come on, you have to do this! You're doing this to impress Big Mac, remember? Oh, but what if he thinks I'm acting too promiscuous? What if he hates me for it? I don't want to try and look too… um… se— appealing…_

"Do hurry up, Fluttershy!" Rarity called, gesturing towards the centre of the room and pulling out sheets of fabric with her magic. "Now, which colour undergarments would you prefer? Black or red?"

The pegasus merely sighed in response.

* * *

"Do hold _still, _darling," Rarity instructed, sewing the dress into place. "This is delicate work, you know."

"Sorry, Rarity," said Fluttershy, feeling her heart rate flutter. "It's just that I'm not used to having something so tight around my… Um…"

"Well it _has _to be tight around the crotch," Rarity said matter-of-factly, rummaging through her drawers. "One must accentuate one's assets accordingly if one is to impress the opposite sex. Now, loosen up a little. I feel like I'm dressing a stone statue."

_But you just told me to be still! _Fluttershy thought to herself, trying to understand the fashionista's logic."OK, I'll try."

"Lookin' good, Fluttershy!" Pinkie cheered from the other side of the room, taking another mouthful of popcorn that she'd unexplainably pulled from behind her back. "Big Mac is gonna love it!"

"Are you sure this isn't a bit much?" the pegasus asked, taking a peek at the silky red dress flowing behind her.

"Nonsense, darling!" Rarity exclaimed proudly. "This might even be my finest work! I don't know what it is, but knowing that I'll be bringing together two star-crossed lovers fills me with a burning passion! Oh, to think that one day the two of you might have adorable little foals running about the place is just magical!"

Fluttershy was silent as she pondered over this, imagining what her life could be like ten years from now. Happily married to the stallion of her dreams… Children of her very own… Together, they'd be a family. _Family… Such a wonderful word… _

"Fluttershy? Are you alright?" Rarity asked, breaking the pegasus' trance.

"Oh, sorry," Fluttershy replied, blushing. "I kind of drifted off for a moment there."

"There'll be enough time for that _later_," Rarity commented with a knowing smile. "As for now, I present to you, the _new _and improvedFluttershy!"

The cheerful unicorn pulled down a velvet cloth from in front of them to reveal a mirror, and Fluttershy caught her first glimpse of Rarity's latest creation. The deep red fabric shimmered in the light, hugging at her midsection before spreading out into a meticulously woven skirt that billowed with her every movement. Fluttershy spent a few moments gawping at her own reflection, her smile slowly widening.

"I look so beautiful…" she said solemnly, running a hoof across the uncannily smooth fabric. "Thank you, Rarity. This… this is more than I could have imagined."

"It has been a pleasure," Rarity said cheerfully, standing beside her friend.

"How much do I owe you?"

"Owe me? Oh, Fluttershy, I couldn't possibly charge you for this! All I ask in return is that if anypony asks about your dress you kindly direct them to the Carousel Boutique. Also, if you could keep me up to date on everything you and Big Mac get up to, that would be excellent. I'm off to Canterlot tomorrow for the Silverwing fashion show and I hope you've made some progress by the time I get back in a few days."

"Well I… I can't promise anything," Fluttershy replied timidly, the reality of her current situation springing to mind. "But I'll be sure to do my best. I'm just… a little nervous about all this. How can I just walk up to him dressed this way?"

"You leave that to me," Pinkie said shrewdly, skipping over to the mare's side. "I've been thinking about the best way to set you two up, and then I remembered something Scratchy said to me. Don't worry, Fluttershy. I'll have this _all _under control…"

* * *

Applejack couldn't help but be curious. Something was up and she knew it. Big Mac was being _awfully _quiet. Not that he was much of a chatterbox, of course. And yet, there was something different about this particular brand of silence that her brother had fallen victim to. There were moments when she'd catch him smiling to himself, sometimes even twitching his lips like he was on the brink of speaking, but without making a sound.

Still, he was working as hard as ever and didn't appear to be in any kind of distress. Perhaps he was just in a good mood? Maybe. But she knew her brother better than that. She had a sneaking suspicion that something — or possibly _someone _— was on his mind.

As the two siblings worked together to plant new seeds across the freshly ploughed soil, she stopped for a moment, a burning question on the tip of her tongue. Just as she'd opened her mouth, she watched as Big Mac trotted along, a veritable spring in his step. It was ever so subtle — no more than a slight hoof-movement — but it was still there. Applejack quickly shut her trap. For some reason, the question she wanted to ask felt like too much of an intrusion.

Big Mac smiled as he pushed soil over the seeds, thinking of how one day these tiny, insignificant droplets would grow into massive trees. And then, these trees would shed their own fruit — their own seeds — and the cycle would begin anew, ushering in a new generation.

_It's a beautiful world, _he thought to himself.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Preparations

"A party?" asked Fluttershy bewilderedly. "Pinkie, not every problem can be solved with a party."

"True, very true," the pink pony commented as she paced back and forth in Fluttershy's cottage. "But this one _can_! Have a think, Fluttershy. What am I always missing from my parties?"

"I have absolutely no ide—"

"That's right! Meat! I mean… stallions!" Pinkie leapt up onto Fluttershy's coffee table. "When Scratchy was telling me about it I wasn't really listening, but now I see exactly what she meant! What's the easiest way to meet new ponies?"

"Um… parties?"

"Correct! Star prize! Ding, ding, ding!" Pinkie shouted as she rang imaginary bells. "Mares plus stallions plus parties plus dancing plus alcohol equals the absolute _perfect _way to find that very special somepony! I can't believe I never even considered it before!"

Pinkie jumped down from the table, almost on top of poor Fluttershy. The timid pegasus was getting even more worried about her friend's plan now that she thought of the crowds, the noise, the ponies staring at her, judging her… "I don't know, Pinkie. This sounds kind of… scary."

"But think about it, Fluttershy! You won't have to go through all the worry of walking up to him all alone and feeling awkward. It's a party, so everypony can just _relax _and have a good time. Not to mention that a bit of Paardian courage will go a long way."

"Pardon?"

"No, _Paardian_. You know, alcohol."

"But Pinkie, I'm not really much of a drinker."

Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes. "_That's _not the attitude I want to hear from you! Do you want a chance with Ponyville's sexiest bachelor or not?"

_I wish she'd stop using the 'S' word, _Fluttershy thought to herself, feeling her cheeks burn. "Sure I do, but—"

"Terrific!" Pinkie bellowed, leaping into the air. "And I'll be there to make sure everything goes smoothly. I'll keep Big Mac occupied and take care of any pesky mares who make a move on him, and all _you _have to do is show up looking beautiful, then I'll make sure you two get to spend some time together. I'll keep everything under control, oh bestest pal o' mine!"

"But how do you know he'll even come to the party?"

Pinkie stopped jumping around and fell sharply to the floor, stroking her chin pensively. "Good point… Well, I guess we just need to invite him! He's bound to want to come! I don't expect he gets invited to parties all that much, and if he knows that _you'll _be there, how could he possibly say 'no'?"

"I… I guess…" Fluttershy sighed, her mind torn between the overwhelming fear and giddy excitement. "Pinkie, I just want to say something."

"Oh yeah? What is it?"

A smile crept onto the pegasus' face. "If you hadn't tried to help me, I wouldn't have accomplished anything. I'd still be doing the same thing every day, just wishing for some kind of romantic scenario to happen by magic. Now you're doing all this for me and I… I wouldn't have even _tried _asking him out on a date or anything like that if it weren't for you. I guess what I'm trying to say is… thank you. Even if I fail, I want you to know how happy I am that you would do something so thoughtful and kind just for me."

"Um… that's OK, Fluttershy," the now flustered party pony said in response, averting her friend's gaze with embarrassment. "But… you don't get to thank me yet! Not until you and Big Mac share your first kiss."

"If you say so," Fluttershy chuckled. "So what's next for the plan? Wouldn't it be a bit strange if Big Mac was the only stallion there?"

"A most impressive observation, Constable Flutter-Tree!" Pinkie exclaimed, quickly coming back to her usual self. "Keep that up and you'll make Sergeant! We need the perfect guest list for this perfect party… Who knows? Maybe you won't be the only one who ends up finding that special somepony…"

* * *

"This is for real? You're not playin' me just so I'll bring my decks again?"

"No way!" Pinkie cried. "You were totally right about bringing stallions to the party. In fact, Fluttershy and I are gonna be asking some more along today!"

Vinyl Scratch nodded with approval as she leant against the door frame. "Sounds good. Hey, Tavia!" she called over her shoulder.

"Yes?" the earth pony called back from within the house.

"Pinkie's having another party this Friday and it's gonna be packin' meat! You in?"

There was a moment's pause before Octavia responded. "Will Twilight be there?"

Vinyl stifled a laugh, holding a hoof to her lips in an effort to hide her mirth. "Octavia's totally been carpet-scouting the bookworm," she whispered.

"Yup! Twilight's gonna be there too!" Pinkie called back, seemingly oblivious to Vinyl's comment.

"OK, I was just wondering," Octavia replied casually, still out of sight of the other three mares. "I'll see if I have a gap in my schedule."

"Well there you go!" Vinyl said cheerfully. "That's another one for the beef brigade. You know, Pinkie, I'm so glad you're finally taking my advice. This reminds me of the time I met my ex Woody at a party a couple years back. I swear, I can remember it like it was yesterday…"

"But Pinkie," Fluttershy whispered with a fake grin as Vinyl continued to blabber on. "We haven't invited any stallions yet."

"Be quiet," Pinkie whispered back, mimicking Fluttershy's polite smile. "We'll get to that soon."

"… and by the end of it I could've been passed off as a plasterer's radio. You know, 'cause I play music and I was cov—"

"That's really interesting, Scratchy, but we've gotta get to it!" Pinkie chimed, cutting off the unicorn in the nick of time. "See you at the party!"

After 'escaping' from the eccentric DJ, Pinkie and Fluttershy carried on through their tour of Ponyville, a basket of invites in wing and hoof. So far, however, only a few names were checked off the list, and they'd made no headway regarding the 'stallion hunt.' For some reason, Pinkie's method of leaping out at strangers and shouting about cake was proving to be ineffective, and Fluttershy was having trouble getting anypony's attention _at all_.

"Maybe we should split up," Pinkie suggested as the two mares trotted along. "It's gonna take too long otherwise, and the less time I have to spend inviting everypony the more time I can spend getting excited about the party!"

"But Pinkie, I'm no good at talking to strangers," Fluttershy replied timidly.

"In that case, you can go invite Twilight and Rainbow Dash while I invite everyone else! Unless of course, you want to invite Big Mac yourself?" Pinkie said with a wry smile.

"I… I don't know if I could do that…" Fluttershy mumbled. "Oh, gosh… I'm nervous all over again!"

"Don't sweat it! I'll make sure Romeo shows up."

"You… you will?"

"Darn straight!" Pinkie said with an affirmative nod. "Now you take care of your last two invites and let your old pal Pinkie sort out the rest. I'll meet you back at the cottage once I'm done, _then_ we can plan out the perfect night together."

Fluttershy smiled, feeling relieved that she wouldn't yet have to face the object of her affections. As much as she wanted him to be there, her nerves would probably make for the most awkward party invite in Equestrian history. "OK. Once again, thank you, Pinkie."

"What did I say before?" Pinkie said as she stuck her tongue out, sprinting off towards Sweet Apple Acres with apparent glee.

Fluttershy sighed, setting her sights on Twilight's library. She had faith in Pinkie, but she wasn't sure if she had faith in herself. Going by her limited knowledge of romance stories, the idea of dazzling Big Mac with her beauty and being swept off her hooves just didn't seem all that plausible. Neither of them were very talkative ponies, so long-winded confessions of feelings and poetic speeches were out of the question too. _I hope it all goes OK, _she thought to herself as she rapped on Twilight's front door.

The purple unicorn quickly came to greet her with a wide grin. "Hi, Fluttershy. How can I help?"

"Hi, Twilight. I'm just inviting you to a party on Pinkie's behalf. She's busy at the moment setting things up and invi—"

"Will Octavia be there?" Twilight interrupted, an eyebrow raised. "No reason, I just… wondered."

* * *

Pinkie galloped along to Sweet Apple Acres, the vision of her future party already invading her thoughts. So long as Big Mac was there, everything would be just fine. Fluttershy might be incredibly shy most of the time but when it came down it, she had more backbone and gusto than just about anypony. Who else could stand up to a fully grown dragon? Or a cockatrice? Or Iron Will?

Just imagining Fluttershy and Big Mac wrapped in a tender embrace warmed Pinkie's heart. To think that she would be helping her friend find true happiness was just about the best feeling in the world, even more so than being drenched in chocolate rain. If they were happy, _she _was happy. All that was left to do was get the ball rolling!

She quickly spotted Applejack and Big Mac traipsing up and down the orchard, bucking trees as they went. _Now's my chance, _she thought, and sped up into a full-powered sprint, effortlessly leaping over the fence and bounding over to the two siblings. It had crossed her mind that Applejack might have some kind of overreaction to all this, but as far as she was concerned, that would just make things a little more interesting.

"Howdy, sugarcubes!" Pinkie called in her best southern accent, gaining the attention of the two ponies. "How's it going?"

"Hey, Pinkie!" Applejack called back, wiping sweat from her brow.

"Hey," Big Mac replied, giving a respectful nod. He didn't seem to understand that Pinkie was here to talk to him too, as he continued his work, merely flashing a friendly smile as he bucked against another tree.

"So, let me guess," Applejack began, looking curiously at the basket of envelopes. "You're givin' out party invites?"

"That's right!" the party pony said cheerfully. "But not for this afternoon, this afternoon. Friday at Sugarcube Corner? There should be an even bigger turn-out than last time!"

"Sounds good," the peach-coated mare replied, taking the invitation and slipping it into a wicker basket half-filled with apples. Upon turning back to her friend, Pinkie had disappeared. "Pinkie, where are…"

Several yards away, Pinkie had bounced over to the unsuspecting stallion. "And here's an invite for _you_!" she cried, startling Big Mac into misjudging his buck, the pony's hind legs splaying out as they hit the tree trunk.

"Ow," he said morosely, putting his hooves back down and wincing with pain. "What did you say, Pinkie?"

"I said… Here's an invite for _you_!" she repeated, pushing the pink envelope practically into his face. "Party. Friday. Sugarcube Corner. You in?"

Big Mac opened up the envelope and blushed an even brighter shade of red than his coat. "Me? Come to a party?"

"What in tarnation?" Applejack interjected as she paced towards the two other ponies, sounding strangely displeased. "You're invitin' Mac?"

"Why not?" asked Pinkie with a shrug. "We all know each other, we're all friends, and it's high time Big Mac got to go to a party for once. Just about everypony is gonna be there! Scratchy, Octavia, Twilight…" Pinkie emitted a short cough. "And _Fluttershy_. So, what's it gonna be? Come on, Big Mac. I have a feeling that somepony wants you to be there…"

The stallion glanced nervously between the written invite, the unfathomably cheerful mare in front of him and his apparently confused sister. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"_You can't go in wondering if things like that could happen. Instead, you should be wondering if you'll find happiness. So the next time you get a chance to spend time with her, grab it by the hooves! Deal?"_

_Well, looks like Ah finally got my chance, _he thought to himself, a grin slowly emerging. _ Ah ain't backed out on a deal before and Ah sure ain't lookin' to make a habit._

"Eeyup," he answered simply, nodding to the pink mare. "Party. Friday. Sugarcube Corner. Ah'm in."

"Wonderful!" Pinkie screamed, leaping almost the height of the apple tree they were stood beside. She wanted to leap onto Big Mac an give him the cuddle of a lifetime for agreeing to come, but considered that that _might _not be the best plan as of right now. He was reserved for Fluttershy, as far as she was concerned. He'd get more than enough hugs when the time came. "Thanks ever so much! I'll see you Friday! Goodbye!" she shouted, bouncing back the way she'd come and off towards Fluttershy's cottage.

"But wait a second," Applejack muttered. "Ah didn't even say if _Ah _was gonna be there." She looked up at her brother, his attempt at hiding his mirth proving to be ineffective. "Would you just wipe that dumb grin off your face and get to it? We've got trees to buck!" she instructed sternly, hurling a basket at the stallion's face.

"Sure," he replied with a chuckle, batting the basket away and moving on to the next tree. He stopped for a moment to look at the invitation once again. For once, things were looking up.

* * *

"I'm _back_!" Pinkie cried as she battered on the door to Fluttershy's cottage. "And you'll _never _guess what happened!"

Fluttershy opened up the door, allowing her friend inside. "What? What happened? Is Big Mac going to be there?" she asked worriedly.

"You betcha! Told you I wouldn't let you down." Pinkie raised a single hoof triumphantly.

"Oh wow… OK… This is really going to happen isn't it?" Fluttershy said nervously, pacing back and forth across the living room. "I just need to take it easy and stay calm. That's right, _calm_. I can do calm. I do calm all the time. It's really easy... Oh, Pinkie, why can't I stay calm!? What if he's only coming out of politeness? What if—"

Pinkie grabbed the worry-ridden pegasus and threw her onto the sofa. "Don't get your panties in a twist!" she instructed, holding the trembling pony still. "I'll have you know that I happened to drop your name when I invited him and he looked _pretty _happy about it."

Fluttershy clasped a hoof over her mouth. "Oh my gosh, really?" She closed her eyes and took a series of deep breaths before looking back up at her friend again, a tear rolling down her left cheek. "I'm scared, Pinkie. I'm happy, but… I'm so very scared."

"There's nothing to be afraid of," Pinkie chirped as she patted Fluttershy on the head. "Every time you feel a little bit scared, just imagine Big Mac with his legs wrapped around you in a _big _cuddly cuddle. And also remember that your old pal Pinkie will do _anything_ to help you reach that happy ever after."

Fluttershy wiped a tear from her eye and smiled. "Thank you, Pinkie." She pulled herself forward and gave her friend a warm embrace, one that was gladly accepted by the excitable earth pony. They sat there for a few moments, brimming with raw happiness for each other, when Fluttershy pulled back and shot Pinkie a confused look. "But wait… You said you invited Big Mac, but what about the other stallions?"

"Oh, don't you worry about that," Pinkie replied with a sly grin. "That's being taken care of as we speak."

* * *

_Meanwhile, on the other side of Ponyville_

"Oh, it would mean the world to have such a handsome chap come to my party," Rarity said as she ran a hoof across the stallion's left wing, causing him to sway giddily. "I dare say you might help liven things up a bit, including _me_." She turned on her hoof, wafting her coiled tail across the young pony's face.

"That… would be… nice," the dumbstruck stallion replied between sharp breaths, his tongue hanging out.

"Oh, let me just grab you an invite. Let's see here…" Rarity perched over the basket of envelopes, holding her posterior in the air and wiggling slightly as she pretended to sift through them. "Oh, here's one!" she exclaimed, turning back to her new acquaintance and tucking it under his wing. "See you there, I hope…"

"Y-y-y-yes…" the stallion mumbled, pushing a hoof between his hind legs and smiling awkwardly.

"Great," Rarity said softly, flashing a playful wink before prancing down the street.

The young pegasus — seemingly hypnotized — watched as Rarity trotted her way to the end of the street. Once she was out of sight, he immediately darted for home. Ignoring the front door, he flicked open his bedroom window, leapt inside and drew the curtains.

* * *

_Two days later_

Big Mac brushed his mane back as he stood in front of his bedroom mirror, trying desperately to tame his unruly hair. It was nothing like hers… _That beautiful pink mane… How much I want to just run my hoof through it and see that sweet smile. _

He'd missed two chances before. The first was when he'd collected Applejack from the previous party at Sugarcube Corner. _All Ah had to do was ask her if she wanted to spend some time with me… Ah saw that face, that look in her eyes and Ah did nothing… _

The second was two days ago at Sweet Apple Acres. _Why did Ah say Ah was meeting Cheerilee? Why did Ah have to rush off like that and just leave her? Why didn't Ah just… No… Ah'm not dwelling on the past no more. Ah'm not gonna let my nerves get a hold of me. Not today. _

With his mind set, he walked slowly and deliberately out of his bedroom and up towards the front door. Applejack was busy putting some more logs onto the fire. She turned and smiled as her brother walked past. "You have fun, ya hear?"

"You sure yer not comin'?" Big Mac asked, feigning concern. In truth, he didn't want his sister there at all.

Applejack shook her head. "Ah just don't really feel like it. You go on ahead now."

"Eeyup." Big Mac nodded and headed outside, letting the cool, wintry air wash over him. Tonight would be a night to remember.

Inside the Apple family home, Applejack watched as her brother made his way down the dirt track that led to the rest of Ponyville. She sighed, taking a pew in front of the now roaring fire. She wanted to go, but she knew that she shouldn't. Big Mac's reasons for going to the party were obvious, and she knew that if she was there, she could ruin it all for him.

She knew that Big Mac had every right to date whoever he wanted, but for it to be one of her closest friends terrified her. No, she didn't want _any _of her friends dating her big brother, no matter how well they might treat each other, no matter how happy they might be. It meant that she was a terrible, selfish pony. And that's why she knew that she couldn't go tonight. She had to let whatever might happen, happen. It was the right thing to do.

* * *

Just on the outskirts of the Everfree forest, a young pegasus had just finished putting on the beautiful red dress that Rarity had made. She paused for a moment, turning to a group of critters that had been helping her. They each gave a mixture of nods, smiles and chirps.

"You really think I look good?" Fluttershy said aloud, running her hoof across the smooth fabric. Wearing this made her feel more than just beautiful. She felt like a goddess.

Her heart was going crazy, her stomach lurched, her legs trembled and her breathing was erratic, but this all felt _right_. She was being fuelled by hope and adrenaline now. Yes, she was scared, but Pinkie's advice was working. As she looked up at her reflection she imagined Big Mac stood at her side, gently nuzzling her cheek. Her very future was at stake, but instead of cowering away into a corner like a coward she was ready to face this head on, filled with a new-found confidence that she didn't even know she had.

_Thank you, Pinkie. I won't let you down._

* * *

"Hey, Pinks. How's it hanging?"

"Sweet as sugar," Pinkie replied, allowing the frizzy-maned DJ inside.

"Octavia will be here as soon as she's sorted her game-plan for the purple wonder," Vinyl said as she hooked up her decks and speakers. "You know, it's funny. That's the first time I've been able to use that line when talking about a mare."

Pinkie giggled at the unicorn's comment and took a swig of Griffonian rum. She hadn't been this happy — this carefree — in a long time. She smiled to herself, watching through the windows of Sugarcube Corner as more guests were about to arrive. This really would be the best party ever.

_And so it begins, _she thought to herself. _Let operation Fluttermac commence!_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Operation Fluttermac!

"Welcome! Welcome!" Pinkie exclaimed, motioning for Octavia to come inside. "It's great to see you again!"

"And you too, Pinkie Pie," the earth pony replied with a smile. "The last time I was here was a pure breath of fresh air. I didn't know how much I liked parties until…" The young mare trailed off as she spotted a certain unicorn from over Pinkie's shoulder. "I'll speak to you again later, Pinkie," she said simply, slowly trotting away.

"Sure thing!" Pinkie called back, taking another moment to look through the window at the dimly lit streets of Ponyville. _Where are they!? _she pondered, frowning irritably. She had never been a patient pony at the best of times. _What if something's happened to them!? What if Fluttershy got blown away by the wind!? What if Big Mac fell into the sewers!? Wait, do we even have sewers in Ponyville? It's never been made very clear, has it? Oh, what am I thinking? Where are they!? _

Pinkie wasn't the only one at the party who was acting restless. Five stallions had arrived, all dressed in dapper suits and waistcoats in the hopes of impressing the very mare that had enticed them here in the first place. However, Rarity was nowhere to be seen, and unbeknownst to them would not be making an appearance _at all_. Still, one young pegasus had found a suitable replacement in the form of a certain DJ. Or at least, so he thought.

Lyra, Bon-Bon, Berry Punch and Derpy had also arrived, which just left Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy and of course, Big Mac. Although it had only been around half an hour since the party had officially begun, Pinkie couldn't help herself from getting overly worried. It was getting to the point where her overall party mood had been hampered somewhat.

"Hey, Pinks!" Vinyl Scratch called as she took a break from the decks. The pegasus stallion had been left standing, looking a little disheartened. "What's goin' on with you? You're looking nervier than a paedophile in an orphanage."

"Oh Scratchy, it's this whole Fluttershy thing," Pinkie replied disgruntledly. "I really want to get her and Big Mac together, and I had this whole party planned for it, and neither of them are even here!"

"Don't sweat it, they'll show," Vinyl said with a shrug. "And even if they don't, I've got a feeling that we'll see _some _sparks flying tonight." She pointed towards the corner of the room where Twilight and Octavia were sat, chattering animatedly. "See? Everything is looking up! Now bring the old Pinkie Pie back out, the one who has everypony laughing and cheering!"

Pinkie mulled over this for a moment and began to smile. "You know what? You're right! I promised a party and I'm gonna give everypony a party!" She charged forward through the ponies milling about on the dance-floor and leapt up onto the table. "OK, everyone! By the power invested in me as the Element of Laughter, I hereby decree shots for everypony!"

There was a cacophony of hoots and cheers as Pinkie grabbed several bottles of brightly coloured liquor and slammed them onto the table. Vinyl complied with the new order and levitated a stack of shot glasses and split them up for everypony that crowded round.

"Do you think we should?" Octavia asked, looking to Twilight uncomfortably. "I was hoping not to get quite so… _inebriated_ as I did last time."

"Come on," the unicorn grinned, taking her place beside the rest of the partygoers. "We'll just make sure not to drink too much after this. It'll be fine!"

"Woo! Octavia!" Vinyl hollered, raising a hoof in the air. "Don't be shy, small fry!"

Octavia grumbled something under her breath and took her place next to Twilight while the rest of the ponies cheered. Vinyl and Pinkie began doling out the shots and pretty soon, everyone present had a drink to hoof.

"I'd like to make a toast!" came an abrupt shout from none other than Derpy. "To… um… To the muffin man! May he make muffins forever and not die from bran poisoning! Amen!"

There was a series of chuckles around the table, but Pinkie quickly complied with the request and raised her glass. "To the muffin man!"

"**To the muffin man!" **the rest of the group chanted together, swiftly downing their drinks.

"Hey, what gives?" came a voice from the other side of the room. "You're not even gonna wait for me before you get this thing started? I demand a shot!"

"Of course, Dashie!" Pinkie chimed, pouring one out for the cyan pegasus. It was then that she noticed who was standing _behind _her. Pinkie giggled to herself and smiled wider. "And how about _you_, Big Mac? We couldn't leave you out, could we?"

The bulky stallion smiled. "Eenope!"

* * *

"Pinkie, this punch tastes kind of… strong," Big Mac commented as he took another gulp from his glass.

"Oh, you're just being silly!" Pinkie giggled, subtly nudging a large bottle of rum under the table behind her. She had a feeling that Big Mac needed a little 'kick' to help him along tonight. "Now, drink up!"

With but a moment's thought, he knocked back the tear-inducing beverage. As potent as the concoction was, he wasn't about to make himself look weak or pathetic, not when he was meant to be fearless and daring on a night like tonight. He needed to keep up that mind-set if he wanted everything to go as planned. For now, he had to wait.

_One down, one to go! _Pinkie thought as she bounced around Sugarcube Corner, checking on her guests and ensuring that spirits were high, and alcoholic spirits were almost as high. If anypony was going to fall in love tonight, they needed to be surrounded by as much happiness and good cheer as possible! Fluttershy was the only remaining missing piece. _Oh, gosh! I hope everything's OK. Come on, Fluttershy, don't fail me now!_

"Another one?" Twilight asked, floating another glass of punch towards Octavia.

"J-j-just one more then," replied the swaying earth pony for the sixth time that evening, drunkenly grabbing the glass and trying to act as coolly as she possibly could. "I-I think I can maybe handle just the one more."

"I'm sure… sure you can," replied the equally sozzled unicorn, smiling to herself. She quickly downed her own drink, ignoring the urge to double over. "So… what sort of stuff d'you like to do? I mean, apart from playing the cello." Twilight clutched a hoof to her chest and let out a small giggle.

"What is it? What's so funny?"

"It's nothing, just… I probably shouldn't say it. You'll get all weirded out and stuff."

Octavia's eyes grew wide and hopeful. She gingerly placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "N-n-no, now you have to tell me. Now that you've said _that, _I need to know."

Twilight blushed, stroking her lips anxiously. "But… you might not like what you hear."

"_Please, _Twilight, j-just say what you were about to say. I want to… want to know."

Twilight looked over at her new 'friend', smiling sheepishly. "I was just gonna say…"

"Y-yes?"

"That cellos are just giant violins!" Twilight exclaimed, grinning uncontrollably.

Octavia's face fell, her entire being crestfallen. "B-but… that's not—"

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said that!" Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Octavia, taking the mare completely by surprise. "I just thought it was funny, and I shouldn't insult cellos! I'm sure they're not j-just giant violins at all!"

Octavia blushed, trying her best to seem annoyed so that she'd gain some sympathy. "Well, _yeah_. Y-you should know that playing the cello and is all kinds different, and they're not just oversized violins, and I'm a little upset that you said that, but—"

"Oh, Octavia..." Twilight whispered, pulling the earth pony closer and resting on her shoulder. "The l-last thing I ever wanted was to make you sad."

"It's f-fine, I've forgiven you," the cellist replied, wrapping her own forelegs around the unicorn and stroking a hoof through her mane. "It was my fault for m-making you say it, anyway."

"Scratchy? Are you crying?"

The DJ jumped in surprise, turning to see Pinkie Pie stood next to her. She smiled sheepishly, rubbing away a loose tear from her eyes. "M-me? Crying? What you smokin' girl?"

"Scratchy, you're not a very good liar," Pinkie stated with a smirk. "If you're upset about something, maybe you should tell me, and I can cheer you up!"

"OK, fine, I was crying," Vinyl admitted, blushing slightly. "But I'm not upset, far from it. Just… _look_." She gestured towards Twilight and Octavia — who were now huddled up together in the corner of the room — and began to tear up once again. "I'm so proud of her. She's been my best friend for so long and I always wanted her to find someone and be happy. And _look. _She's so happy…"

Pinkie found it difficult not to well up with emotion as she saw the smile on Twilight and Octavia's faces. _She's right. They look so happy, _she thought to herself. _I never even thought of helping Twilight find love, but I guess I didn't need to. She's managed it all on her own. It's so sweet, even if I'm not a fan of lesbian shipping. But still…_

Distracted by the sight before her, Pinkie Pie failed to notice something happen — something that she had been adamant about preventing.

"I'm going to do it," Bon-Bon said with a burning resolve. "I'm serious, girls. I'm really gonna do it."

"You're totally serious, aren't you?" Lyra asked, brimming with excitement. "You're really gonna ask out Big Mac? I need to see this."

"Oh, I'm gonna do it," the cream-coated earth pony repeated. "Oh, I am _so _gonna do it."

"Well go on, then!" encouraged Lyra. "Me and Derpy will be cheering you on!"

"Oh, I'm doing it alright. I'm gonna start walking over… _now_!" Bon-Bon said without moving an inch. "OK… _now_! And, how about _now_!?"

"Oh noes!" Derpy exclaimed, a worried expression on her face. "The voice-change pony has forgotten how to walk! I'll help you, fair maiden!" With one swift movement, Derpy shunted Bon-Bon from the side, sending the horrified mare hurtling towards Big Mac. After a few seconds of tumbling and skidding, Bon-Bon managed to right herself just in front of where the red-coated stallion was standing.

"Hey," she said as seductively as possible, batting her eyelashes and posing provocatively.

"Hey?" Big Mac responded with uncomfortably, torn somewhere between a smile and a frown.

A few moments of awkward silence passed as the two ponies merely stared at each other. This was followed by Bon-Bon unceremoniously vomiting across the floor in front of Big Mac's hooves. An oily, lime-green mess now covered the floorboards, a collective series of wretches echoing throughout Sugarcube Corner. (With the exception of two 'pre-occupied' mares sat at the far wall) Bon-Bon and Big Mac looked from each other, to the floor, and back to each other, before Bon-Bon walked solemnly back to where Lyra and Derpy were standing.

"I messed it up, didn't I?" she wailed.

"No… it wasn't all bad," Lyra replied with a strained smile. "You were doing totally awesome, right up until the point where you barfed everywhere. Apart from that, you were golden!"

The mess was quickly swept up by Pinkie, Vinyl and Lyra, the green-coated unicorn offering her deepest apologies as she sprayed air freshener across the room. Big Mac had shied away from the faint stain, the stench still clear in his nostrils. The night wasn't supposed to be like this! He'd come here as a bold, dashing stallion. At no point had he expected to be wiping his hooves to rid them of regurgitated alcopops. _Now _how was he going to impress…

The front door of Sugarcube Corner opened slowly, revealing a canary-coated pegasus adorned with a flowing red dress. There was a collective moment of silence throughout the room as Fluttershy stepped inside — not timidly, but _confidently. _She was blushing from the sudden wave of emotion as she locked eyes with the stallion several metres directly in front of her, but she was undeterred. Her pulse was racing, her tail was twitching, her face had grown hot, but she was smiling a genuine smile, one that eclipsed even her beautiful dress. _I'm ready, _Fluttershy thought to herself. _And I'm too happy to be scared._

"Scratchy! Music!" Pinkie said in a hushed shout, ushering Vinyl back to her decks. The party pony felt absolutely ecstatic. _Everything _had to be perfect.

"Sure thing!" Vinyl quickly twiddled a few dials and levitated another record into place. Within moments, a sweet — but slightly corny — melody began to play.

_Pony… in red…_

Fluttershy took a deep breath and slowly stepped forward. She flashed Pinkie a quick glance as a way of saying thank you, to which the party mare nodded. Taking a quick scan of the room, she noticed the looks she was getting from the various stallions. It should have made her uneasy, but it didn't. For once, she felt truly and unabashedly beautiful, and it was nothing short of breath-taking. She could see Rainbow Dash splayed out over at the side of the room, looking rather worse for wear. She could see Twilight and Octavia holding hooves in the far corner. She noticed a peculiar and pungent smell… but none of that mattered. Putting her eyes forward, she delicately — but surely — trotted her way towards Big Mac. He was the only thing that mattered.

"I don't know about you guys," one of the other stallions commented. "But I call dibs on this one." He cocked his head and began to approach Fluttershy.

"Oh no you don't," Pinkie whispered, appearing almost out of nowhere and bucking the stallion to the other side of the room. He slammed into the wall, narrowly missing Derpy's head.

Another stallion got the same idea, readjusting his tie and swaggering towards the young pegasus. He didn't get far though, as Pinkie leapt from inside a nearby plant pot and dragged him inside, popping out a moment later with a content grin as she dusted off her hooves and glared at the remaining stallions. Appearing to heed her warning, they each backed away from Fluttershy's path with nervous grins. _Go for it, Fluttershy, _she said inwardly, feeling a sense of immense pride at the pegasus' newfound poise and grace.

Big Mac's jaw dropped. In all his wildest dreams he could never imagine Fluttershy to look so… _amazing. _It wasn't just her meticulously woven clothing; it was her heart-melting smile, her determined, yet subdued gaze that bore into his retinas, and something else. There was no other word in Mac's vocabulary that could describe it. _Aura. _The pegasus before him exuded some kind of unearthly force, something that he'd so rarely felt in the presence of other ponies. Now face to face, Big Mac snapped his jaw shut.

"Hey," Fluttershy whispered, blushing a stark beetroot.

"Hey," Big Mac replied softly, as if in a daze.

Vinyl switched the song back to something a little more upbeat, and the general mood in the room shifted to something far less awkward. As the stallions assumed their chances ruined with Fluttershy, their attention was drawn away from her. The other mares began chatting naturally as they'd done before, everything at Sugarcube Corner pretty much returning to normal. Except — of course — for a certain pair.

"Ah… Ah like your dress," Big Mac said nervously.

"Why thank you," Fluttershy replied, taking in a deep breath as she rolled a hoof over the fabric. "At first I didn't think that red was my colour but…" She trailed off, pausing for a moment as she looked between her dress and the muscular stallion in front of her. "I think it's grown on me."

Big Mac gulped audibly. "Is… is that so? Hmm…" _Damn it, Mac, what are you doing? _the stallion said inwardly. _Get your head in the game! You deliberately tryin' to ruin your chances!? _

Fluttershy smiled and began to pour herself some punch as she continued. "I'm not normally one for dresses at all, even if I did have that brief stint as a model." _Stop talking about yourself! _she cursed in her mind. _Are you honestly expecting some kind of miracle here? He's right in front of you for Celestia's sake! _"So, how are you enjoying the party? It must feel nice to be invited for once."

"Yeah, it sure does."

"I'm really happy that you're here, though. I never really got a chance to speak to you properly before now." Fluttershy looked briefly in Pinkie's direction. The excitable pink pony was beaming from ear to ear, attempting a thumbs-up, but realising that she didn't have any thumbs.

_So Pinkie's been planning this? How did Ah not guess? _"Ah… guess you're right." Big Mac took a quick breath. "Just to say Ah'm real sorry for ditchin' you at the farm the other day, but—"

"It's OK, really. You were in a hurry, and looking back on it now it was pretty stupid of me to get upset. I know you're not dating Cheerilee and…" Fluttershy stroked a hoof through her mane nervously. It was out in the open now. "And that makes me happy, because it means that I might get to be your very special somepony."

Big Mac's heart raced as Fluttershy inched closer, a few strands from her swirling pink mane brushing against his chest. He was meant to be strong, meant to be tough, but in the presence of this kind, loving, _beautiful_ creature who longed for him, meaning just wasn't enough. He couldn't even make himself smile. He just stared in awe. He could hardly believe that Fluttershy was being so bold, that merely staring into her eyes made him tremble like a leaf. It wasn't how he'd envisioned the night to go, but it was… _something. _An opportunity that many a stallion might kill for. He wasn't sure if it was just the effects of alcohol consumption, but standing there in that moment was like a dream. _A dream come true? _

"So tell me a little bit about yourself," Fluttershy said, overpowered by the immense happiness of finally saying what she'd wanted to say. "I'd love to get to know you better."

Pinkie was overjoyed. _They're talking. Talking! Sure, it doesn't sound like the most riveting and natural conversation in the world, but it's not like I ever expected them to sit back and joke around_. _They look so perfect together! And Fluttershy looks so happy, and Big Mac looks like he's fighting the urge to grab her in his hooves and wrestle with her tongue! Keep fighting it for just a little while longer, Maccy my boy!_

Fluttershy was thrilled. _It's going even better than I imagined! And he's so amazing… That charming smile, that unkempt mane, that voice… Every time he speaks I just want to leap onto him and… Oh, wow. Did I just think that? What's come over me!? Just gotta take things slow and act natural. Oh, Mac, just take me…_

Big Mac was dazzled. _Eeyup._

"Now _that _is sweet as sugar," Vinyl commented as she watched the ensuing romance between the new couple. Taking note of them both — as well as the unicorn and earth pony mare pair nuzzling each other a few feet away — an idea popped into her head. Flicking through her playlist, past _Skillrex _and _D3adPon3_, she came across a select few tracks worthy of this moment.

_**DING! DONG! THE PRINCE IS DEAD! THE MERRY OLD PRINCE IS DEAD!**_

"No, not that one!" she muttered under her breath as she received a few confused looks from around the room. She dropped the bass and volume just a tad and smiled to herself. "This one."

Suddenly, the barrage of wubs fell silent as a melodious piano tune trickled from the speakers. Vinyl levitated a disco ball (of which she had many stashed around Ponyville in case of rave emergency) to the ceiling, letting the light bounce across it, a cascade of twinkles dancing across the room in perfect harmony. Then came the softly spoken words of Eric Clopton.

_With this love… _

_The pony race shall run free!_

Big Mac instantly noticed Fluttershy perk up as the mood changed. "Y-you want to dance?" he asked aloud, accidentally slurring his words.

Fluttershy blushed harder and brighter, but still kept her eyes locked to his. Without a word, she nodded, walking slowly to the centre of the room. To her surprise, Derpy and another pegasus stallion had already begun to dance. She hadn't imagined the mail-mare to find herself a partner with such ease.

"You mean it?" Derpy asked her new companion. "You can really take me to the south pole? Oh, joy!"

"H-how about a dance?" Octavia asked, gesturing to the rest of the group.

"OK, b-but, hang on," Twilight answered, untangling her limbs from the other mare. "I just gotta… gotta get up. I can still walk j-just fine."

The two ponies stumbled to their hooves, leaning on one another to keep their balance. Just as they managed to rise into a standing position, they both toppled backwards and collapsed to the floor.

"I've got another… a new plan," Octavia announced, lolling her head groggily. "We dance… but, we dance on the _floor._"

"That s-sounds like a good plan," Twilight replied. Together, the two mares began wafting their legs in the air in some kind of attempt at dancing, all the while singing along — completely out of tune and using the wrong words.

Fluttershy and Big Mac were together now — their necks pressed to each other's — swaying gently to the music. The pink-haired pegasus sighed deeply as wave after wave of emotion swept over her. She could feel the anxiety of the past few days drift away into the ether, the feelings in her heart leaping to the forefront. The earthy aroma of Big Mac's pelt was soothing, but that wasn't what comforted her the most. Being this close to him she could feel every breath, feel his pulse run through the veins in his neck. _It's as if we're together as one. Hearts beating together. Lungs breathing together. Together…_

"This is just the way I imagined it," she said softly, tilting her head to fully rest it against his body. "I'm not even afraid anymore. I can say whatever I want now, and still be OK. I've always thought you were handsome, but… I never knew you could be so gentle."

Big Mac let out a small chuckle and dipped his head closer to hers. He stayed quiet, the only noise escaping from him being long, deep breaths.

"What… what are you thinking about?" Fluttershy asked.

The bulky stallion stayed silent for a few moments before speaking. "Just thinkin' that… you're beautiful."

Fluttershy couldn't stop herself. The tears were already flowing the moment his words were spoken. "Thank you," she whispered, allowing herself to cry joyfully against his frame. To hear him say something like that… It stirred up something inside her. She thought of every moment of sadness that she'd felt, every time she'd wished for a companion — a soul-mate — and had to come back to reality, that somepony like her could _never _find someone else, _never_ find true happiness. That was all over now. Her dreams were the new reality; that much was clear.

"I just can't get over it," Pinkie whispered to Vinyl. "She's so happy that she's…" Before Pinkie could even say the word she started crying herself.

"I know what you mean," Vinyl replied, tears rolling down her own cheeks as she watched Octavia and Twilight whispering to each other.

"It's l-like I told you," Twilight stuttered, stroking through Octavia's mane. "I never even thought I _liked _mares, but y-you're just… You're something special. It's like I don't even care that w-we're the same gender. I like you for being _you_."

Octavia shuffled closer, their faces now but inches apart. "I always kind of liked mares but… I was so ash-ashamed." Her face grew solemn as she relived past experiences. "I tried to tell myself that I l-liked stallions, that I w-wasn't a filly-fooler. I tried to c-convince myself—"

"Octavia?" Twilight gasped.

"I tried to tell myself that I didn't feel that way, and those f-feelings got pushed deep down. I thought there was something wr-wrong with me. But… But now that I'm here with you, I don't w-want to pretend anymore. I really like you, Twilight Sparkle, and I'm not ashamed to say it. You just—"

The chocolate-haired earth pony was swiftly cut off.

"There it is!" Vinyl exclaimed, tugging on Pinkie's head and forcing her to look where she was pointing. "Her first kiss. I don't believe it." Vinyl fought valiantly, but the intense waterworks were inevitable. "I'm so proud of her," she sobbed, pulling herself into Pinkie's chest.

"Oh, Scratchy, I'm so happy for you." The pink partygoer wrapped a hoof around Vinyl's head. She too was crying just as much as the eccentric unicorn. "I think everypony is happy tonight, and that makes me even _more _happy."

"You're right. You're totally right." Vinyl wiped away her tears and brought herself to Pinkie's level. "Hey, I don't mean to weird you out or anything, but d'you wanna dance?"

"You know what, Scratchy? It'd be my pleasure."

In all of the years that Pinkie had been throwing parties, nothing could quite match what she'd managed here tonight. She'd always aspired to throw the 'best party ever', and sure, she'd thrown some absolute crackers in her time. However, none of them could even hold a candle to this. It wasn't even the concept of her pals hooking up that made it so important. She could make her friends laugh and smile just about any day of the week, but what she _couldn't _always do was make them feel the kind of deep, soulful happiness that they felt now.

Pinkie kept her eye on Fluttershy — the nervy, timid mare who always had to struggle to find her confidence — as she wrapped a hoof around Big Mac's neck. As much as she had helped her friend, it was Fluttershy that had pulled through and found happiness for herself. It was something truly magical to behold.

Fluttershy sighed once again, running a hoof across Big Mac's shoulder. He was a stallion of few words — there was no doubt about that — but he didn't need to say much. Somepony once said that actions spoke louder than words, and she could see why they were right.

_With…_

_This…_

_Love…_

The song was slowly petering out, soon to reach its end. It wasn't even a song Fluttershy particularly liked, but that had changed. For now, it was _their _song. As the vocals faded into soft, drawn out string and piano notes, she dropped her hoof to the floor. Slowly, she brought her head back, coming face to face with her very special somepony. Without words, without inner turmoil and without hesitation, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

It was such a simple kiss. There was no passionate combing through his mane or slapping of tongues in a game of tonsil tennis, but it was _good. _Fluttershy felt content, but perhaps most incredibly of all, she felt _loved. _Loved, perhaps, by the one stallion who could have possibly stolen her heart.

Their lips parted, and Big Mac stared into the adorable mare's eyes. Everything was… Everything was…

"No."

Fluttershy couldn't understand what she'd just heard. "What… what is it?"

Big Mac shook his head gently side to side. "This wasn't meant to happen."

Fluttershy felt an instinctive lurching in her midsection. She held her breath without realising. "I don't understand what you—"

"Ah'm so sorry, Fluttershy."

The young pegasus could only watch in astonishment and horror as Big Mac trotted away from her with his head hung low, opened up the door and left without another word. A sinking feeling swept over her, an immense pressure building from the tip of her nose and moving down, throughout the rest of her body. "What did I do wrong?" she whispered. "What did I do—" And so she fell to the floor, emitting nothing but heart-wrenching wails and sobs.

_What just happened!? _Pinkie thought in utter shock. One moment she was watching her friend's first kiss and the next… _How dare he make Fluttershy cry! How dare he ditch her like this! What the hell is his problem!?_

As much as Pinkie wanted to comfort the distraught mare, what took over her sense was a pulsing fury. She bolted from the scene, crashing through the front door and out onto the street. She knew the way to Sweet Apple Acres and there was no way she was about to let Mac get away from her! Running as fast as she could, she soon spotted the galloping stallion out in the darkness.

"Hey!" she bellowed, not stopping for even a second. "Just where do you think you're going!?"

Big Mac didn't answer; he speeded up, trying to outrun her.

"Oh no you don't!" Pinkie cried, expending every ounce of energy to catch up. He was fast, but not fast enough. Pinkie soon got behind him grabbed his tail between her teeth, sending them both skidding into the dirt. Before Big Mac had a chance to get up, Pinkie had his head pinned to the ground, her teeth bared. "What are you doing!?" she screamed.

"Ah'm sorry," Big Mac trembled, looking terrified. "Ah can't—"

"You can't _what_!?" Pinkie interrupted, fighting the urge to bash his face in. "You can't act like a proper stallion!? You can't be nice to Fluttershy!? Do you have any idea how much you mean to her!? Do you have any idea how much you've made her cry!? _Do you_!?"

"Ah really am sorry, but—"

"But _what_!? This was your one chance to be together and you blew it! Why did you do this!? Give me _one _good reason!"

**...**

"_You really need to loosen up…"_

**"_Ah really like her, and Ah think she likes me. Ah saw her today and…"_**

"_But I spoke with Applejack and she said she was absolutely certain that her brother didn't have a special somepony…"_

**"_She was smilin', but there was this look of disappointment…"_**

"_And why would you let her think a thing like that?"_

"…_and so I said 'What'cha doin'?"_

**"_An' there's somethin' about her…"_**

"_Instead, you should be wondering if you'll find happiness…"_

"_You're invitin' Mac?"_

**"_This kind of raw innocence…"_**

"_So the next time you get a chance to spend time with her…"_

"_Here's an invite for you!"_

**_Ah saw that face, that look in her eyes…_**

"_Grab it by the hooves!"_

"_But wait a second…"_

**…_see that sweet smile…_**

"_Deal?"_

"_He looked pretty happy…"_

**…_beautiful…_**

"_Are you tryin' your hoof at wooin…"_

"_Happy ever after…"_

**…_pink mane…_**

**_..._**

Big Mac thrust himself forward, planting a kiss on Pinkie's left cheek. Her anger turned to confusion as the stallion solemnly got to his hooves, a lone tear crawling down his face. The heavens opened, bathing them both in an icy cold downpour.

"It was _you_," Big Mac croaked, drawing in shallow breaths. "It was _always_ you."

Pinkie stayed glued to the ground as Big Mac left, trotting sadly through the mud. She couldn't move; she couldn't speak. She could only watch silently as the gentle stallion slinked his way over the hill and out of sight, leaving her in the company of nothing else but the pouring rain.

_This wasn't meant to happen. This wasn't meant…_

Pinkie started to cry.

**[A/N] Shocked? Don't give up on the fic just yet. This story isn't over.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – The Calm After the Storm

_Three days later_

"Applebloom! Ah won't say it again!"

"Ah'm comin', Ah'm comin'," the filly groaned, trotting down the stairs. "It's not like Ah _want_ to miss dinner."

Applejack sighed. "Well, sorry little sis. Ah've just been a mite stressed is all." The farm pony trotted from chair to chair, placing down a steaming apple pie in front of each one. Granny Smith was already sat at the table, (which was only because she'd fallen asleep while reading the newspaper) and Applebloom had just jumped up to her seat. That only left one more…

"Applebloom, have you seen your brother?"

"Sure haven't," the young filly answered, already delving into her meal. "Unless you count seein' him mope off up the fields this mornin'. What is up with him, anyway? Ah knew he might be nervous 'cause of his upcomin' duties, but what gives?"

"Ah'm not entirely sure," Applejack replied. In fairness, it wasn't a complete lie. The Element of Honesty was too good for that. Big Mac had been awfully quiet ever since the night of the party, and every attempt at an inquiry was met with either stone cold silence or some casual comment about 'being fine'. She could assume that things didn't go quite so well with Pinkie Pie, but that only answered half of the question. Just what happened on that night?

She could try visiting Pinkie herself, but that wasn't something she was willing to do right now. All things considered, she was actually relieved that the two of them hadn't gotten together. To think that her friend would… No. It was too weird to even imagine.

Still, Applejack couldn't help but be worried. She'd never seen her brother like this. Even when their parents died, her brother had at least _talked _to her about his pain. Why wasn't he doing the same thing now? What would it take to lift his spirits back up? Surely a friendly pat on the back and "better luck next time," would solve the problem? It didn't seem that way, though. And if she was honest, (which she almost always was) she didn't know if she _wanted _to hear about his problems. Heck, he had more important things to be thinking about, like...

There was a knock at the door.

"Well it's about time," Applejack called as she left the dining room, leaving her sister and grandmother to scoff their dinner. "Ah don't so much appreciate you runnin' off all the time. It's hardly nice for us if we don't know where in the hay you are." Applejack unbolted the front door and opened it. "Now come on in. Your dinner is… Oh my…"

"Is Big Mac home?" the other mare asked nervously. "I… I was hoping I could speak with him."

* * *

_Two days earlier_

The first thing she noticed that morning was the pain. Fierce, throbbing pain across her forehead. Fluttering her eyelids open and feeling the oppressive burn of sunlight, Twilight recoiled, holding both fore-hooves to her temple.

"My head..." she groaned, trying to force the pain into submission by burying herself into her pillow.

"I know. I feel like I've been run over by a chariot."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Wait, what!?" Twilight sprung up, startled by the familiar voice. It was then that she saw who was lying next to her. "Octavia!?"

"Twilight!? How did I…? Oh, gooseberries," the hung-over cellist responded with, mirroring Twilight's actions and clasping a hoof around her forehead. After a few moments, she locked eyes with the unicorn once again. "Where am I? Is this… Am I in your bed?" she asked, her cheeks glowing. "Does that mean…? Did we…?"

Twilight rested back onto the pillow. "I honestly don't know. The last thing I remember is being at the party and having a round of shots, and then talking to you. Everything after that is just a blur. How about you?"

Octavia exhaled deeply, making some kind of effort to rack her brains but wincing with each attempt at thought. "Pretty much the same. I remember having a few drinks with you, but after that it's all fuzzy." She sighed disappointedly. "I think I kissed you, but… I can't really recall whether it was real or just a dream. I… I hope it was real."

Twilight smiled sheepishly and gave the mare a brief peck on the lips. "Did that feel like a dream?"

Octavia blushed, bringing a hoof to her mouth and brushing over where Twilight had just kissed her. "I… I'm not sure. Maybe we should try again?"

Without another word, the pair entered one another's warm embrace, indulging in an uninhibited, wholly passionate smooch. Their bodies entwined and their tongues wrapped around each other's, Twilight could feel Octavia's heartbeat against her own chest. She knew then that whatever had happened the previous night, the two of them were now far beyond the reaches of 'just friends.'

"I think we can establish that that was totally real," Octavia whispered as she pulled back, unable to resist the temptation to lock lips once again and run a hoof through the unicorn's luscious mane. "I can't believe we're actually together. Before I went to the party I was so nervous. I practiced lines to myself in front of the mirror and everything."

"Well it worked," Twilight replied with a chuckle. "And if I'm completely honest, I was so close to bringing a bunch of roses along, but about five minutes before leaving I freaked and threw them away."

"That's… a shame," Octavia said, looking downhearted. "I've never been given a bunch of flowers before, and it's such a sweet gesture. Were they red roses?"

"The reddest of the red," Twilight declared proudly. "They're probably not in the greatest condition anymore, being at the bottom of a waste bin. I'll have to surprise you with some fresh ones once I get the chance. At least now I won't have anything to hide when I go to Roseluck's place again."

"So I guess we're officially together then, right?" Octavia asked despite knowing the answer.

"Of course we are," Twilight replied cheekily, shuffling a few inches closer.

"Well my luck definitely seems to have taken a rather welcome turn. I just hope that… that we—"

"That we _what_?"

"I hope we didn't… _you know_. Do anything beyond kissing," Octavia said nervously, her face glowing red. "I wouldn't have wanted my first time — especially with such an amazing pony like you — to slip by as a forgotten memory."

"I… guess you're right," Twilight agreed glumly, not having thought of it until that point. "I wouldn't want that either. But… if neither of us know, and neither of us could possibly remember, can we really consider it to have happened?"

The earth pony mare mulled this over, a small smile creeping across her face. "Perhaps not," she noted cheerfully. "So, for all intents and purposes, it never happened?"

"Right! Though talking about it when we're both huddled up together like this is a little weird," the unicorn chuckled.

"Well I'm afraid that we're _both _in a position to use the old 'headache' excuse at this moment in time."

"No kidding. We're hardly in the best of conditions. Not to mention the fact that Spike would—" Twilight sat bolt upright, a sudden wave of fear washing over her. "Spike would… oh _buck._"

"What? What is it?"

Twilight leapt out of bed, taking one glance towards the other end of the room and another towards an antique clock. "Oh _buck_," she repeated, this time with a more worried expression.

"Would you please tell me what's going on?" Octavia asked, rubbing her eyes and clambering to her hooves.

"This is bad. Then again, maybe it's not so bad. Spike's a pretty heavy sleeper, so maybe he just slept through everything. Yeah, that's right! Everything's fine!" Twilight exclaimed, a nervous grin on her face.

"OK, _now _you're scaring me."

"Nothing to be afraid of! Nothing at all!" Twilight replied unconvincingly, making her way towards the staircase. "Would you care for some tea? Light refreshments?"

"Well, I guess we could both use a little pick-me-up," Octavia said with a nod, trying to ignore her filly-friend's apparent hysteria. "I don't suppose you have any Earl Hay tea?"

"Sure! Of course! Nothing but the finest!"

Twilight trotted cautiously down the stairs, looking to every corner of the library. There didn't seem to be anypony else around, so she sighed with relief and walked over to the kitchen. She opened up one of the cupboards, grabbed two ceramic mugs and closed the cupboard door shut. Just as she did so, a figure appeared as if from nowhere on the worktop.

"Sleep well?" Spike snarled.

"Spike!?" Twilight shrieked in surprise, losing her telekinetic grip on the mugs and letting them drop to the floor with a **smash**.

"Twilight? What happened?" Octavia asked as she turned the corner. "Did you drop something? Oh—"

"Well, well, well," Spike continued, hopping to the floor and shooting a menacing glare at the two mares. "If it isn't Twilight's new _friend._"

Twilight was blushing uncontrollably, finding it difficult to even keep eye contact with her faithful assistant. "Spike, there you are! I, um… was just wondering where you were, and here you are! All safe and sound!"

"Me? I've been better," the young dragon shot back, plumes of hot steam escaping his nostrils. "Had a little trouble sleeping last night, you see. There were these two ponies who kept making _noises_ throughout the night."

Both mares were now dumbstruck under Spike's gaze, their cheeks glowing red. Twilight gulped nervously, wanting nothing more than to just get away. Under normal circumstances she could have activated some kind of teleportation spell and bolted from the library, but under such immense pressure she could barely even think straight, let alone cast that kind of magic. "Spike… we're sor—"

"For over an hour, all I heard was high-pitched _moaning._"

At that word, the jaws of the two mares dropped, rendering them completely speechless.

"How's a dragon supposed to sleep when all he can hear is moaning?" Spike continued, taking a step towards them. "I don't know of any way. Do you? I mean, it's bad enough to hear you two crash through the door and come bumbling up the stairs, but the _moaning_…" Spike shook his head angrily. "I don't want to hear that, do I?"

"I'm… sorry," Octavia whispered, trying her best to give a friendly smile.

"Oh, I'm sure you are," he snapped back, turning his attention to Twilight. The usually calm unicorn looked as if she was going to melt into the floorboards. "As for _you,_" he growled, pointing a lone claw towards her face. "When I heard you saying my name over and over..."

Twilight's jaw somehow dropped even further, sweat pouring from her forehead. She wanted nothing more than to just disappear out of existence. Nothingcould possibly rectify the intense shame and embarrassment that she felt in that moment. _I will never live this down, _she thought. _I'll have to change my name to Sunset Shimmer and move to Manehattan, never to be heard from again. Goodbye, Ponyville. Goodbye, friends._

"It hurt my feelings, you know?" Spike finally said, now looking more upset than furious. "I don't go moaning to everypony about _your _mistakes, so to hear you moaning about all the things that I get wrong was just painful! I'm your number one assistant, and _that's_ how you repay me!?"

Twilight blinked, taking a moment to register what Spike had just said. "S-so… when you said we were moaning you meant—"

"—that we were _complaining_ about things," Octavia finished.

"What else would I mean!?" Spike fumed. "Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah. I was just talking about you saying all kinds of bad things about me to your new sleepover buddy! Take them back right now!"

"Sure!" Twilight replied cheerily, winking to Octavia. "It was wrong of me to say things about you behind your back, and even though I was drunk I had absolutely no excuse. You have my sincerest apologies, oh greatest assistant of mine." Twilight bowed gracefully to the young dragon.

"Laying it on a little thick, but I guess it's better than nothing," Spike huffed, strutting past with an air of defiance. "And I think I deserve a little nap time for once. You can dust your _own _shelves."

"Absolutely. You deserve a nice rest after we kept you up so late," Twilight called back, barely able to keep a straight face.

The two mares watched as Spike paced up the stairs. Once he was out of sight, their eyes met each other's once more.

"Moaning," Octavia whispered, and the pair fell about in fits of laughter.

* * *

"Darn it!" Rainbow Dash cussed under her breath after another failed attempt at building up speed. _So much for fresh air and the wind in your wings curing a hangover, _she thought as she soared above the village. _Why did I even get so drunk? What happened last night? I remember chatting with Big Mac on the way to the party. I was surprised to see him there. Then Twilight started hooking up with that musical snob. And _I'm _the one who gets ripped on for being a lesbian! Then there was something about dings, dongs and the prince being dead, but what else?_

It was no use. Every attempt to remember anything else just made Rainbow Dash's head hurt. As if trying to zoom through the skies wasn't accomplishing that by itself. Normally, she'd just try and sleep off her hangover, but the last time she did that she ended up sleeping through the entire day and spending the night wide awake, bored out of her brains. Flying aimlessly was doing an excellent job of keeping her awake, but without the energy to do any kind of awesome tricks, it wasn't much fun either.

She sighed, finding herself looking down over Ponyville. Pony watching was a kind of secret hobby of Rainbow Dash's, and she couldn't help but silently judge others as they went about their day. It wasn't perverted… at least, _most _of the time it wasn't.

Spotting Fluttershy's cottage, the cyan pegasus considered dropping by. At least she'd be able to find out what horribly embarrassing things she'd done while under the influence, and since Fluttershy could barely even finish a single glass of wine she'd at least be getting her information from a sober source. That, and Fluttershy was the last pony who would lash out at her for whatever stupid stuff she might have done. Though the bruise from Rarity's hoof had long since healed, the phantom pain remained.

Hopefully, her yellow friend might still have a batch of that herbal tea. It wasn't something that Rainbow Dash found particularly appetising, but it just might be the quick fix that she needed to beat back the headaches. For a moment, she thought she could remember something about Fluttershy from the previous night, but her memory was hazy. It wouldn't matter, though. She could find out right now.

Rainbow Dash landed just shy of the doorstep, taking a moment to comb back her mane. She knocked lightly on the door and stood back, trying not to look as dishevelled as she felt.

No response.

She tried again, this time calling through the keyhole. "Hey, Fluttershy. It's me, your pal Rainbow Dash!"

Still no response.

_Well, great. _The impatient pegasus was almost about to fly away in annoyance when a terrible thought crossed her mind. _Fluttershy always answers her door… What if she didn't make it home last night!? What if she was attacked!?_

"Fluttershy! Are you in there!?" she hollered worriedly, banging loudly once more. She placed her ear to the door but couldn't make out any voices or hoof-steps. "Right, that does it!"

Rainbow Dash darted backwards, lining up a straight path to the door. Pumping her wing muscles, she barrelled forward, ready to bust her way into the cottage. However, just a moment after setting off the door began to creak open. Taken by surprise, the pegasus mare tried to slow herself down, screeching her hooves across the ground. Unable to keep herself upright, she tumbled her way across the path, eventually planting herself on Fluttershy's doorstep chin first.

"Son of a gelding!" she screamed. Thanks to her little stunt, her headache was now even worse than it already had been. "Fluttershy, can you…"

Strangely, it wasn't Fluttershy who stood in the doorway. Angel the bunny peered out, looking even more displeased than normal. He paused, taking a moment to look Rainbow Dash over.

"Hey Angel, can you ask Flut—" The disgruntled rabbit shook his head solemnly and slammed the door in Dash's face. She got to her hooves, sighing deeply. "_Wow. _I must've done something _really _bad if even Fluttershy won't speak to me," she said aloud, some part of her hoping that her friend would hear her plea and grant some sympathy. It didn't work, however, and Rainbow Dash simply flew away, already making plans for apologies to whatever she may have done. "I'm never drinking again_,"_ she muttered for the third time that month.

* * *

"Not much of a sweet-talker then, are you?" Octavia taunted, taking a sip of tea. The pair were slumped down on Twilight's kitchen floor, leant against some cupboards. "Getting a mare into bed just so you can talk about your dragon-sitting problems."

"_Don't_," Twilight pleaded, covering her face with shame. "Somehow I think I'd have preferred it if we'd bucked each other's brains out. At least that wouldn't have been as embarrassing."

Octavia frowned. "That's… a rather crude way of putting it, but I see your point."

"I wonder what my friends will think of this," Twilight said with a sigh. "I can't help but imagine Rarity yelling 'eww!' at the sight of two mares kissing. Rainbow Dash would probably be the first to crack jokes, and Applejack's kind of old-fashioned in that regard. Heaven knows what Spike is gonna think once I tell him the truth."

"It'll be difficult for the both of us, but if our friends are truly our friends they would support us no matter what we do." Octavia wrapped a foreleg around Twilight's left hoof. "After spending so many years trying to convince myself that I was straight, and now sitting here with you…" The earth pony rested her head on Twilight's shoulder. "I could get used to this."

"You're not wrong there," Twilight grinned bashfully. "But I'd rather not risk falling into temptation, especially not right here on the kitchen floor. I've not even talked to Spike about the birds and the bees, so I don't think he's ready for a first-hoof showing of the birds and the… um, birds."

"Then perhaps we should go for a little stroll," Octavia suggested, perking up.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea. We could grab a bite to eat at Sugarcube Corner. They do the most amazing blueberry muffins, and it'd be nice to see Pinkie Pie again. We _do _kind of owe it to her that we even hooked up in the first place."

"That sounds positively wonderful," Octavia replied, the two smitten mares trotting gleefully out into the streets of Ponyville.

* * *

Vinyl Scratch stretched out her limbs and yawned. She slipped her signature sunglasses on and looked over at the clock by her bedside. "Half twelve?" she said aloud. _I guess it'll do me good to have an early start once in a while. Up an' at 'em!_

The pearly white unicorn dragged herself out of bed, shaking her unkempt mane back to its usual frazzled self. She was perkier than normal after a night's partying, though it hadn't exactly been the most usual of experiences.

Plodding into the kitchen, she poured herself a glass of apple juice and grabbed a cress sandwich from the sideboard. _Something's missing, _she thought as she walked back through the house, accompanied by nothing but silence. _Or maybe someone…_

Without knocking, she waltzed into Octavia's room to find it completely empty. "Tavia!" she called. "You here?" Taking another look around the house yielded no sign of the musical mare. In fact, everything looked as it had been since Vinyl had left for the party.

_Well I'll be a walking trough, _she mused, smiling to herself. _That posh little prude sure doesn't hang about. Tavia and Twilight? Spelunking already? Buck me, it feels weird just thinking that, but I'd better get used to it. Can't say I'm not proud of her, though. _

Vinyl took a minute to look back on the night just passed. It had been fun for the most part, and seeing her best friend find what seemed to be the perfect filly-friend was just amazing. She could almost feel herself begin to tear up again just by thinking about it. But then her daydream carried her forward, towards the end of the night. The party had been cut short…

"Poor Fluttershy," she muttered, shaking her head solemnly. It didn't matter if she didn't know the mare personally; seeing that angelic beauty fall into the depths of despair was almost heart-breaking.

After both Pinkie and Big Mac had left, Fluttershy was all on her lonesome, curled up into a ball with tears streaming down her cheeks. Vinyl had rushed to comfort her, and the distraught pegasus latched onto her, bawling loudly into her shoulder. "It's OK," the DJ had whispered. "It's alright." But it wasn't alright and she knew it. She knew all too well just how much damage heartbreak could do to a pony.

The party ended shortly after, Vinyl shutting off the music and tending to the poor mare. Everypony else stumbled out of Sugarcube Corner, Twilight and Octavia having to use each other for balance to even make it out the door. She was left stroking through the mane of this innocent pony, wishing that she could make everything better. But she couldn't.

In the end, Fluttershy walked home, refusing to accept any more assistance. Despite waiting for another half an hour, Pinkie never showed up, so Vinyl had been forced to simply close the door behind her and walk home. Not the greatest end to a party by any means.

"It's all bucked up," she muttered, relaxing into a leather chair.

* * *

"Twilight, I can see it in your eyes. Stop trying to pretend."

"I'm not buying you roses today," the unicorn affirmed. "It won't be special if I don't make it a surprise."

The pair cantered on past the florists and towards the village centre. In truth, they were both struggling with anxiety as they walked side by side. For Twilight, the prospect of being the first of her friends to find a partner (not counting Rarity's 'encounters') was a little daunting, and she considered just how much her life could change. For Octavia, the simple idea of being 'together' with another pony – and a beautiful mare like Twilight, no less – both excited and terrified her. As much as she just wanted to run her hooves over the unicorn's soft fur and hold her close all day and night, she knew that they could have something more, something _deeper _than just affection. But when would that time come? _Baby steps, baby steps, _she told herself.

As they reached Sugarcube Corner, Twilight opened up the door with her magic and gestured with one hoof. "After you, pudding."

Octavia blushed as she walked into the bakery. "Um… _Pudding?"_

Twilight slapped a hoof over her face. "What was I thinking!?" she exclaimed, pottering on alongside her new filly-friend. "Sorry. I was trying to think of cute little pet names, and… It sounded a lot better in my head than it did out loud, really. I'll… I'll stick to calling you Octavia from now on."

"That's alright," the flustered earth pony replied with a chuckle. "I can be your puddingif you really want me to."

Twilight's face turned a stark beetroot as she joined the queue of customers. _No, don't you dare do that, brain, _Twilight scolded in queue lurched forward, taking them closer to the main desk. _Stop thinking of all the connotations, and definitely stop thinking all those lewd thoughts. _Only one more pony in front. Almost time to be served. _Octavia deserves to be respected, and you should treat her as such. _Front of the queue. _Just relax, and don't say anything stupid._

"Hello!" Mrs Cake beamed. "What can I get for you today?"

"Hello, I'd like a fish pudding…"

* * *

_Oh, why oh why oh why!?_

"Twilight? It… it's alright. It's kind of funny when you think about it."

The purple unicorn slumped her head to the table. _Ha ha ha. My sides. Oh how they're splitting. Oh, what in the name of Equestria is wrong with me? _

"Twilight? Would you please just say something?" Octavia asked, taking a small bite from her blueberry muffin. She'd been half-tempted to ask for a ring doughnut, but that joke probably wouldn't have gone down very well.

"If you could just dig a hole somewhere and bury me that would be great."

Octavia snickered and leant over to the other mare, brushing back her mane. "I have to be honest; you're ever so cute when you're embarrassed."

"I'm glad _you _find it funny," Twilight said sarcastically, but quickly changed her tone as she noticed Octavia's pained expression. "Sorry! Sorry… Gosh, I really am bad at this, aren't I? I just wanted everything to be perfect but now… Hang on, wait a second, what's that behind you!?"

Octavia quickly turned, but couldn't see anything out of place. "What? What is it? I don't know what I'm supposed to be looking at. Twilight, whatever d—"

"Surprise!" Twilight exclaimed, looking as cheerful as ever. Octavia was stunned. Led on the table was a bouquet of five, thin, red roses wrapped in a pink bow. A small note read: 'For you, pudding!'

"How did you…?" The earth pony took the flowers in her hooves, feeling her heart throb with emotion. Not even the stares from various customers (and Mrs Cake) could ruin the moment. She took a deep breath and cradled the bouquet against her face. "They're so beautiful. But… where did they come from?"

Twilight tenderly placed a hoof on her lover's foreleg, beaming from ear to ear. "I've been preparing them secretly this whole time. Any time I was using my horn to open doors or lift objects I was doing a little something to get them ready. While I didn't _technically _buy them from Roseluck per se, I did leave a stack of bits on her desk. Getting the roses together was easy. The hard part was writing the note without you noticing and teleporting them into the room."

"You can _do _that!?" Octavia gasped in surprise. "I knew you were good with magic, but… My goodness, you're simply wonderful."

Twilight smirked. "I know you are, but what am I?"

The once awkward atmosphere was completely gone and the two mares soon began chatting excitedly, discussing their lives, hobbies, likes and dislikes among other things. Strangely enough, they'd already covered most of the topics the night before, but simply couldn't remember. It wasn't long before they were laughing and joking amongst themselves, feeling much more at ease.

"For a first date, this really hasn't turned out all that bad," Octavia sighed sleepily. She couldn't help but think about hopping back into bed and cuddling for the rest of the afternoon.

"I guess not!" Twilight chimed, blushing slightly. "Though perhaps next time I can treat you to somewhere a bit…" The unicorn leant closer. "A bit nicer," she whispered.

"If you're planning on spoiling me, I must warn you, Twilight Sparkle. I happen to be rather susceptible to candlelit dinners, flattery, and constant attention."

"I'll make a note of it," Twilight chuckled, refraining to mention her plans to actually make notes once the date was over. "Oh, there's something we've forgotten though, isn't there? We were going to thank Pinkie Pie."

"Oh yes, I'm afraid I swiftly forgot about that after the whole 'pudding' drama. I do agree that she's earned our thanks. Where would she be?"

Twilight furrowed her brow. "I'm not so sure, actually. She's usually either at the desk or flurrying about in the kitchen making cakes. I was honestly expecting her to pounce on us as soon as we got inside. Mrs Cake?"

"Yes, how can I help you, Twilight?" the sky blue earth pony replied.

"Is Pinkie on break or something? We were hoping to stop by and say hello."

Mrs Cake forced a pained grin as her face turned sour. "Actually… I didn't want to say anything before and risk ruining your little outing, but you wouldn't mind seeing to her, would you? She said this morning that she felt awfully ill and I haven't seen her all day. It's just not like her, you know?"

"Really? Oh, goodness," Twilight exclaimed, receiving an equally worried look from Octavia. "Of course we'll see how she is. I do hope she's OK…"

The pair took Mrs Cake's directions and trotted up the stairs behind the main desk, passing through a hallway plastered in an array of family photographs. Never one to act 'normal', Pinkie could be seen jumping, somersaulting, or just plain popping up out of nowhere. Even in still image form she looked as though she might leap out of the picture. She was always so lively and energetic, so for her to not even leave her room…

Twilight knocked gently on a brightly coloured pink door marked 'Pinkie Pie'. "Pinkie? It's Twilight and Octavia. We just wanted to see how you were."

The pair stood together, waiting for a response. But it never came. Sharing another nervous glance, Octavia decided to call through. "Pinkie? We wanted to thank you for the party last night."

No response.

Twilight took a quick look down the hallway, wondering if her friend might be hiding somewhere. _This isn't like her. This isn't like her at all._ She knocked on the door once again, this time twisting the door handle. The door wouldn't budge.

"Pinkie!" she called once again. "Pinkie, this isn't funny!" A chill crept down her spine as she had a horrible thought spring to mind. Charging her horn, she sent a bolt of purple lightning at the door handle, wrenching the lock until it pried open and splintering the wooden frame.

The two of them barged in, stopping dead in their tracks after just a few steps.

What they saw shook them to their very core.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – And Then It's Gone

_Two days later_

Applejack stood in the doorway, almost speechless at the sight of the troubled mare before her. She wanted to wrap a hoof around her and explain that everything was alright, but she could only stare blankly.

"Is Big Mac home?" the other mare repeated, an emotion somewhere between desperation and sadness in her voice.

Applejack placed a hoof to her mouth. Never had she seen her friend quite like this. "Ah don't know where he is but—"

"Then I should come back later." With that, the pink-maned pony turned away.

Her brain suddenly jolting into gear, Applejack leapt after her. "Wait!" she cried, clamping a foreleg around her friend's shoulder. "Maybe y-you should come inside. Ah can fix you up somethin' if you're hungry." She looked over the sullen mare, feeling her heart sink into her chest.

There was no response at first, but eventually the other mare nodded in agreement and trotted slowly back to the Apple family home. She was led into a large room with a crackling fire and instructed to take a seat. After a few moments of family chit-chat, Applejack shut the dining room door behind her and took a seat next to her friend. She cut to the chase.

"Big Mac's been actin' awful strangely too," she whispered softly, trying to be as caring as possible. "Somethin' happened at the party, didn't it?"

Fluttershy took a deep breath before answering. "Something like that."

* * *

_Two days earlier_

Twilight was lost for words. Before her, the usually lively, cheerful and fun-loving mare was led face down on her bed in a pool of her own tears. But there was no sound of sniffling. No wails. No cries. Pinkie wasn't making a sound…

Octavia could only look on, mortified. The unicorn charged breathlessly towards the pink mare and pulled her up. "Pinkie!" she cried, lifting up the pony's head and pulling it towards her. "Pinkie, what's—"

"I just wanted to make her happy…"

Twilight remained still for a moment, both her mind and breath caught by some invisible force.

"I just… w-wanted to…"

The pink-coated earth pony threw her forelegs around Twilight, a cascade of tears streaming down her face. He voice came out as a series of bleak, muffled sobs. "I promised her a h-happy ever after, and now she… I've broken a promise, and she's gonna hate me because… because…" She finally opened her eyes, the dazzling blue overshadowed by the oppressive red of overworked blood vessels. "Because Big Mac, he… he kissed me. I think… I think he loves me."

Octavia had managed to break from her stupor and joined her filly-friend in comforting the poor mare. This wasn't anything like the usual, comical Pinkie cry. This was something much more heart-wrenching, something indescribable beyond the sheer pain that even listening to it caused. To even bear witness to it was almost too much for Twilight to handle, so for Pinkie…

"Shhh… It's going to be OK," Twilight whispered, running a hoof through the mare's mane. She didn't know exactly what had set her off, but Pinkie's previous words had given her a few ideas. _Oh goodness, Pinkie, what have you done? _"I need to know what happened, Pinkie. You said something about Big Mac."

Pinkie took a few deep breaths, trying desperately to piece her words together in a way that wouldn't overload her with sorrow once again. It didn't seem all that plausible, though, so she did what she always tried to do when she was down in the dumps. She smiled, and tried to look on the bright side of life.

"I see you two are getting along together," she said with a forced grin, her bottom lip quivering uncontrollably. "At least I did something right."

Twilight pressed her forehead to Pinkie's, trying her best to keep herself calm, lest she worsen the state of the troubled mare. She noticed Octavia turn her head, unable to resist cracking under pressure.

"Take it slow, Pinkie," the unicorn instructed. "Tell me what's going on."

And so, Pinkie did. It took longer than expected and was broken up by the occasional bout of spilt tears, but she managed to explain her match-making plans, Fluttershy's feelings for Big Mac, and finally, Big Mac's revelation to heramidst the downpour. Once she finished, she hung her head limply, taking deep, deliberate breaths.

Twilight took a few moments to go over each detail in her mind, trying not to let either pure rationality or bubbling emotion get the better of her. She could hardly believe that while she and Octavia had been getting to know each other, a whole other world of hopes and dreams had crumbled. Pinkie, Fluttershy, Big Mac… It had gone so horribly wrong for all of them.

"OK, Pinkie. Now listen to me. Fluttershy isn't going to hate you."

"But I got her hopes up so much, told her that she could be happy! I just wanted what was best for her, and I really thought Big Mac would…" She trailed off, shaking her head slowly. "I never thought that he'd like _me_."

"It is how it is," Twilight said softly, sitting herself next to the mare. Octavia did the same, most of her tears now brushed away. "But like I said, Fluttershy won't hate you."

"Well maybe she _should_. _I _hate me."

Twilight physically recoiled at Pinkie's words. "You don't mean that, Pinkie. And even if you did, you shouldn't feel that way. You're a great friend, and I'm sure Fluttershy knows it too. Don't forget, you planned everything for her. You didn't _have _to do that, you did it because you care about her, you want her to be happy."

Pinkie nodded sadly in response.

"And it's not like you went off with Big Mac behind her back. Believe me when I say that if you _had, _we'd be having a very different conversation right now."

Pinkie broke into a nervous giggle, smiling for the first time that day. "I guess you're right." She stared off into the distance for a short while, stuck in deep thought. "You girls can leave me alone now," she said simply. "You two want to be spending some quality time together I bet, and I can't be all selfish by making you stay here."

"If… If you're absolutely sure," Twilight replied, looking worriedly to her filly-friend. "We can stay for a while if you want."

"No, it's fine," Pinkie assured, prodding the unicorn's nose playfully. "Don't you worry about little old me. I'm Pinkie Pie, remember? Smile, smile, smile and all that?" The pink mare wasn't sure who she was trying to convince more, Twilight or herself.

"OK, I understand," Twilight replied with a half-grin. "You need some alone time for a while. Just remember that your friends are here for you, should you ever need us." She ran her hoof through Pinkie's straightened mane, secretly wondering when she would see its usual bounciness return. "Though I think there's one pony who needs _you_."

Pinkie sighed, wiping away the tears from her face. "Fluttershy."

Twilight nodded. "Right. When you start feeling a bit better, I think you should go pay her a visit. You know more about Fluttershy's situation than anypony, and I bet she could really use your support."

Pinkie sniffed, forcing another short-lived smile. "You're right. I just… I just need some time."

Twilight gave her friend one last hug and crept slowly towards the door. She paused for a moment, one last thing on her mind. "And Pinkie?"

"Yeah?"

"Just don't… do anything that you might regret." The poisonous undertones of her seemingly innocent advice left a bitter taste in Twilight's mouth, making her wish she hadn't said anything at all.

Pinkie gave a small nod in response and the two other mares left the room. Their hoof-steps growing more distant, Pinkie led back onto her pillow and sighed deeply. _Sorry, Twilight. Too late for that, _she thought, grabbing a distressed-looking Gummy from atop her chest of drawers and pulling him into a tight cuddle.

"Stupid Pinkie…"

* * *

"Ah'm fine."

"No ya ain't!" Applejack shot back in annoyance, becoming frustrated by her brother's incessant lies. Being the Element of Honesty gave her a decidedly keen sense of whether somepony was telling the truth, and right now, every alarm bell inside her head was ringing without abandon. With all the work that had to be done, she wanted things resolved as quickly as possible. "Ah don't mean to get angry with you, but if you'd just tell me… Now where in the hay are you goin'?"

Big Mac mumbled something in response and kept on walking aimlessly through the orchard.

"What? Can you speak up?"

"Ah said Ah'm going to the far-fields!" he yelled, the usually stoic stallion clenching his teeth and glaring at her. "Ah could do with the walk."

Applejack's stubbornness faltered as she stared back into his eyes, a lone tear crawling down his cheek. Never before had he spoken to her like this. In fact, in all the years that she'd known him, and despite being the closest pair of siblings this side of Equestria, she'd _never _seen him like this.

Without another word he turned and began pacing rapidly towards the far side of Sweet Apple Acres, grabbing a wooden basket in one swift movement along the way. He'd gone from unabashed cheerfulness to… _this_, in just one day. Applejack wanted to run up to him and find out what was wrong, to talk him through his problems like they'd always done since they were foals. And yet, she was scared. So very scared. With a nervous sigh, she turned on her hoof and got to work.

* * *

Oh, how he wished he could talk. Oh, how he wished he wasn't some pitiful little bunny. In his own mind, Angel imagined himself cradling Fluttershy's head and stroking through her mane, holding her close as she wept into his shoulder. And then he'd tell her that everything would be alright, that he would help her through this. She'd smile back at him, and he'd remind her of all the good things in life. He'd tell her to forget that nasty Big Mac. After all, running out on her like that was completely out of order. He'd do everything in his power to make sure that she was never hurt again. He'd offer the most sagely of advice, and maybe she'd thank him, a small glimmer of happiness in her eyes. Of course, if only he could talk. If only he wasn't a bunny.

Fluttershy hadn't moved from her bed, her mane splayed messily across the headboard. She hugged her duvet cover tightly as Angel and a host of other critters crowded around, many with their heads hung solemnly. Her cries had died down to mere whimpers now, but she was in no condition to live out a normal day. The beautiful red dress that Rarity had made was now crumpled into an old wardrobe, out of sight.

"_Ah'm so sorry, Fluttershy."_

Big Mac's fateful words played over and over again in her mind. How could he have left her there like that? Didn't he like her? Or maybe… _Maybe he really was in a relationship with Cheerilee, but he was keeping it a secret from everypony, even Applejack. And so when Pinkie asked her… It would explain everything. He didn't freak out until the moment I kissed him, and now…_

"I'm going to die alone," Fluttershy mumbled.

_No you won't, _Angel wished he could say, tears now rolling down his own cheeks. _No you won't…_

* * *

_The next day_

It was around two in the afternoon when Fluttershy finally found the strength to pull herself out of bed. She smiled to Angel — who had been curled up at the foot of her bed — and the ever loyal bunny followed, looking decidedly pleased that his owner was finally up and about. She was still far from happy though, as he quickly noticed.

"Are you hungry?" Fluttershy asked. "We could share a bowl of lettuce if you wanted."

Angel nodded cheerfully as the two of them plodded on into the kitchen. Fluttershy quickly whipped up the meagre meal and took a look outside. _I haven't fed the chickens today, _she thought. Taking just a few bites from a lettuce leaf, she soldiered on, tending to the rest of her animals. It was an odd experience doing it in the afternoon as opposed to early morning, but it kept her mind busy as she greeted the rest of her critter friends. They all greeted her with beaming smiles and harmonious chirps. And so, she smiled back, willing herself to feel even a fraction of the happiness that they felt. What was it that Pinkie always said? That if you give a smile, you get a smile? Yes… There was some truth in that, she supposed.

And so she continued on with what would be any normal cottage wasn't going to clean itself. She had her precious animals, the ones who doted on her more than anyone. She could at least comfort herself with that, but…

_Isn't that what got me depressed in the first place? That I'm not good enough for anypony? That I'm best left out of the way while everypony else socialises and lives their lives in a normal way? Just so that strange little Fluttershy can live all alone while Big Mac marries Cheerilee and lives a happy life. And they'll have foals, not like unlikeable Fluttershy. Nopony to care for her, nopony to be part of a family with. No family. No Big Macintosh…_

Fluttershy hadn't even realised that she'd been crying until she was snapped back to reality by a distressed bunny clutching at her fore-hoof.

"I can't do it, Angel," she whispered. "I just… I don't know what to—"

There was a knock at the door.

Fluttershy made no attempt to answer it, instead slinking quietly over to her couch and curling herself up. She knew her friends would want to speak to her some time. _Probably out of pity, _she cursed inwardly. _Poor little Fluttershy, so pathetic and helpless. _

There was another knock followed by a familiar voice. "Fluttershy? It's me. I know you probably don't want to see me right now, but I at least want to talk to you."

Fluttershy perked up, wanting to call back but unsure what to even say.

"I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry. About… About _everything_. I got your hopes up and then I…" The voice was followed by a series of muffled sobs. "And I ruined everything…"

Fluttershy raced to the door, swung it open and wrapped her hooves around Pinkie, the two mares locking into a tearful embrace. As if to echo their emotions, a light drizzle fell from the sky, dousing their coats with a thin layer of water droplets. Without any words, Fluttershy pulled her friend inside and out of the rain.

"It's a lot warmer in here," Pinkie remarked, forcing a smile. "Fluttershy, I'm so—"

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Fluttershy affirmed, pulling Pinkie into another tight hug. "You did what you thought was right. You were trying to make me happy. I… I'm thankful that you tried."

"But I failed," Pinkie muttered, her smile gone in an instant. "I was so sure that he liked you. I thought you two would make such a lovely couple and I… I didn't even realise that he—"

"It's OK, it's OK. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up so much. For all I know, Cheerilee deserves to be with him more than I do."

"Cheerilee?" Pinkie asked, her voice receding to little more than a whimper. "No, Fluttershy. It was never about Cheerilee."

"It wasn't?"

Pinkie took a deep breath and gazed wearily into Fluttershy's eyes. "Take a seat, Fluttershy. I'll… I'll tell you everything."

**[A/N] Sorry for taking so long with this update but I've been rather busy recently. Hopefully I can get the next one out more quickly. Anyway, thanks to everyone who's been following this story. Your support means a lot to me. =)**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Whatever It Takes

_One day later_

Applejack planted a bowl of hot soup onto the table in front of Fluttershy. The poor pegasus looked practically famished, but a portion of Granny's famous apple, pecan and spring vegetable soup was just a hair short of an elixir in those circumstances. Fluttershy thanked her for the meal and slurped it down, but not without peering outside at the first sign of noise. Without a doubt, she was desperate to speak to Mac.

"You feelin' better now, sugarcube?"

Fluttershy nodded, giving a small smile. "Yes. Thank you, Applejack."

The farm pony sat herself next to her and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "You want to tell me what's goin' on? Ah gotta be honest, you've got me mighty worried."

"Big Mac hasn't told you?"

Applejack shook her head. "Not a word. But Ah know it must be somethin' big to get old iron chest to go mopin' around the place."

Fluttershy sighed. "I guess you deserve to know. It all started when…"

* * *

_Three days earlier_

"It was _you_," Big Mac croaked, drawing in shallow breaths. "It was _always_ you."

Pinkie stayed glued to the ground as Big Mac left, trotting sadly through the mud. She couldn't move; she couldn't speak. She could only watch silently as the gentle stallion slinked his way over the hill and out of sight, leaving her in the company of nothing else but the pouring rain.

_This wasn't meant to happen. This wasn't meant…_

Pinkie started to cry. Everything she'd worked for, everything she'd done to try and make her friend happy had gone so terribly wrong. _I should have realised it sooner, I should have… _But did everything rest on what she _should _have done? Was _everything _lost? Pinkie pulled herself up from the mud and broke into another gallop. _No. I can still… I can still try… I need to know for certain if…_

"Mac!" she hollered into the night, spotting his silhouette in the distance, his form obscured by the thick, wintry fog. She paced ahead, tears still streaming from her eyes. "Wait!"

Big Mac stopped and turned towards her voice. If there was any chance, any chance at all… He had to stay. He couldn't leave things the way they were. "Pinkie…?"

Pinkie soon appeared a few steps in front of him, her mane dripping wet from the rain. She caught her breath and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Why, Mac? Why couldn't you have just…? If only you knew how much Fluttershy thought of you."

"That's why Ah couldn't," he said glumly, sighing deeply. "Seein' her just now in the pretty red dress, holdin' onto me… Ah thought for a moment — just a moment — that Ah could just dance with her and be done with it, chalk it up to the alcohol. Ah didn't mean—"

"But didn't you think she was beautiful? Don't you think she's amazing? C-couldn't you have made it work?" Pinkie pleaded. "Y-you don't know how hard she's been trying."

"Of course she's beautiful. But if she likes me so much, Ah just can't go any further." Big Mac hung his head in shame, unable to fight his own tears anymore. "If Ah did, Ah'd only be doin' it to make you jealous. Ain't nothin' noble about that."

"Why… Why couldn't you just…" Pinkie fell to the ground and began beating her hooves into the dirt, expelling her anger and sadness. "Why!? Why!? **Why!? **It's not fair! It's just not—"

Big Mac brought his hooves around her upper body and cradled her. Pinkie submitted, resting her forehead into his chest and bawling. He ran a hoof through her mane — something he had dreamed of doing for so long — and wrapped his forelegs around her.

"Do you remember that day?" he whispered, feeling her tears accompany the raindrops as they trickled over his fur. "When you started singing a song that got everypony smiling?"

"Smile… smile… smile…" Pinkie muttered under her breath, letting her body fall limply against him in exhaustion.

"You found those two little fillies who were down in the dumps, and you made them smile, just like _that. _And then you hopped into mah cart, and somethin' took over. You managed to make us happy so easily, so quickly."

"I… I remember…"

Big Mac brought her head up gently. "Ah don't think you realise how happy you made me that day. How happy you still make me."

"But… I just—"

Big Mac pressed his lips to hers, running a hoof across her shoulder. He wanted this moment to last forever. After all the pain he'd felt, after all the pain he'd caused… _Something _had to give. _Something _good had to come of all this. As bad as he felt for Fluttershy, he _had _to fight for what he wanted. He had to—

After no more than two seconds, Mac felt something strike him across the face. He barely recoiled, but brought a hoof to his cheek in shock, feeling the pain ripple across his skin. Pinkie stood before him, looking at her hoof with a terrified expression.

"Pinkie, Ah—"

"No!" she bellowed, stomping her hoof down. "Don't say another word! Just stay away from me! I… I don't love you and I never will! You hear me!? Stay away!"

"Pinkie, don't go…"

But it was too late. Pinkie had already sped off into the distance. As she neared Sugarcube Corner, she paused. Trembling at the knees and feeling the need to physically vomit, she crawled out of the rain and collapsed underneath a large oak tree. She brought her right hoof to her face again, still feeling the impact of battering Big Mac. Here she was, The Element of Laughter, reduced to violence that wasn't even deserved. She thought of Fluttershy, crying in the middle of the dance-floor. How could she go back to her now, after what she'd done? Fluttershy was the sweetest, most innocent creature in all of Ponyville. _She'll never forgive me. She'll hate me. _

With her will spent, she curled up against the trunk, shivering in the cold. It would be another three hours before she was awoken by a horrible nightmare and sent crawling back home, Big Mac's cries echoing in her mind.

* * *

"So that's what happened," Pinkie said sadly, her mouth and throat getting inexplicably drier. She hung her head down, not wanting to look at Fluttershy. Or at least, she didn't want to see Fluttershy looking at _her_.

"I see," the trembling pegasus whispered, relaying Pinkie's tale over and over in her mind.

"You must hate me," Pinkie muttered, a fresh batch of tears appearing. "If you want me to go, just say the word. I'll… I'll understand."

"Pinkie, I don't hate you," Fluttershy sighed, scooting across to the other side of the sofa and resting her head on the quivering mare's back. "I'm just… It's a lot to take in. A lot to think about."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry about _everything_." Pinkie finally turned back to her friend and the pair locked themselves into a tight cuddle, desperate to find some comfort at a time like this. "You mean so much to me, Fluttershy. I wanted to repay you for how happy you make me, how much of a good friend you are."

"I know."

"And when I saw you with Big Mac on that night, I saw this look on your face, and I just thought—"

"Pinkie, can we _not _talk about that for just a minute."

Pinkie was startled by her friend's harsh tone. Coming to the conclusion that she'd hurt Fluttershy more than she could have ever expected, she wrapped her forelegs around her even tighter and ran a hoof across her back, _something _to show — without any more hurtful words — just how sorry she was. But the yellow pegasus stayed silent.

Finally, after about ten minutes without a word being said between them, Fluttershy spoke up. "Thank you."

"F-for what?" Pinkie stammered.

"For thinking of me." Fluttershy pulled herself away from Pinkie's embrace to reveal a smile. "You saw a chance for me to be happy and you did whatever you could to make it come true. You're _more _than just a funny, friendly mare who throws parties. You're a truly… A truly amazing pony." She paused, her gaze shifting awkwardly to the floor. "It's no wonder Big Mac has feelings for you. You bring more happiness to this world than anyone I know."

"Don't say that!" Pinkie exclaimed, grabbing hold of her friend once again. "Don't put yourself down below _me_, of all ponies. Not after what I've done… Not just to you, but to Mac as well."

Fluttershy was about to dismiss Pinkie's statement without a second thought, when something stopped her. She thought back on what Pinkie had told her — the events that transpired while she was drowning in tears in the middle of Sugarcube Corner, clinging onto Vinyl Scratch as her world fell apart and her heart split in two.

_I'm jealous, _she said inwardly, feeling her heart stretch and strain at this new revelation. She felt awful for even thinking it, but the mental image of Pinkie and Mac sharing a kiss under the stars made her stomach lurch. It seemed so unfair. _She _was the one who'd tried her best to impress Big Mac; _she _was the one who'd spent hours on end plagued by bitter anxiety. And she was the one who'd spent her time at night — huddled up with her duvet covers in bed — wishing for that magical moment when she could hold Mac close. The kiss they'd shared on the dance-floor meant _nothing_ to him. And yet, the kiss he'd shared with Pinkie…

"Fluttershy, what's wrong?" Pinkie asked, looking into her eyes with confused worry. "You're… You're mad at me, aren't you?" The pink earth pony shuffled herself away slightly, appearing strangely content. A weak smile came across her face. "It's OK. I… I don't blame you. I deserve it."

"No, Pinkie. You _don't _deserve it," Fluttershy said firmly. "And that's the problem."

"I don't understand. What do you mean?"

_Just imagine it, _a voice at the back of Fluttershy's mind teased. _Big Mac pushing Pinkie Pie up against a tree and running his hooves all over her body, his tongue weaving its way across her neck. Then as she kisses his cheek he begs for more, wanting her more than anything in the world. Not even so much as a distant thought about pathetic little Fluttershy…_

"I'm jealous of you," she croaked. "But… I know I shouldn't be. Pinkie, you did nothing wrong. And yet, I'm still jealous of you." She sniffed, wiping away at her eyes. "I'm supposed to be the Element of Kindness, and _look _at me!"

"And I'm supposed to be the Element of Laughter," Pinkie muttered sadly. "But I can't even cheer up one of my bestest friends when she needs me the most. All I've done since I got here is make things worse. Maybe… Maybe I should go."

"No! Don't go! Please!" Fluttershy jumped forward and grabbed Pinkie by the hoof. "I shouldn't have even said anything. You… You shouldn't feel guilty at all about—" _She kissed him, didn't she? She didn't have to let that happen. What was her excuse? _Fluttershy shook her head briefly in an attempt to cast away her damning thoughts."Just don't leave, OK? I… I don't want to be alone."

Pinkie smiled, gently running a hoof across Fluttershy's shoulder. "It's alright, Fluttershy. I don't want to be alone either."

Feeling the onset of hunger, Fluttershy agreed to fetch them both some tea and scones. Rather than wolf the food down as per usual, Pinkie stayed much more reserved, nibbling at her meal and politely sipping from her mug. She wished she could crack a joke and get raise her friend's spirits again, but she just couldn't. Her mere company would have to be enough as she complimented her friend's herbal tea and engaged in meagre small talk about the animals scurrying around the house. Fluttershy was at least beyond the realms of sulking in silence, but that wasn't enough. And yet for all her experience cheering ponies up as the Element of Laughter, nothing sprang to mind. All she could think about was how much pain Fluttershy had been put through, and how much she was responsible for it.

Fluttershy slowly chomped through her scone, offering a piece to Angel, who had snuggled up to her with a deflated expression. Her mind was abuzz as she relived everything that had happened over the last few weeks. But most of all, she thought about Pinkie and Mac together in the rain, the stallion exposing his true feelings for her. She didn't think her friend was lying. Pinkie had literally struggled to get the information out, her words chained down by guilt and regret. Pinkie could quite easily have made something up so that she wasn't in any way incriminated, but she chose not to lie. At least, that's what Fluttershy told herself to believe. Still, there was something Pinkie had said that brought other things to mind, things that she'd never even considered before now…

_She's jealous of me, _Pinkie thought to herself. _Of course she is! _Another voice at the back of her mind rasped. _And she's so angry at you, too! You've messed everything up for everyone, all because you were stupid, all because you stopped putting other ponies first. _Pinkie lowered her head for a moment, recollecting herself. She knew that she had to make this all better somehow. Fluttershy's happiness was her top priority.

But then there was also the case of Big Mac. For all intents and purposes, she'd broken his heart with utmost brutality. She didn't let him down gently like she should have. How must he feel right now? She would have to say sorry to him, but then what would Fluttershy think if she was to speak to him again? Would she suspect that something was going on between them? After all, the moment she lashed out at him and swore that she could never love him, _he_ wasn't the one she was trying to convince.

After finishing their meal, Fluttershy began tending to more of her animals, placing out plastic bowls filled with treats around the cottage. Pinkie offered to help, and did so with the utmost care. It was surprisingly therapeutic for the pair of them, and many of the animals warmed up to Pinkie in an instant, which helped cheer her up.

_Maybe we can just forget about it, _Pinkie said inwardly. _Maybe we can just take a deep breath, never talk about it ever again and let life carry on. _It was a pleasant thought, and it didn't seem to have a downside. Except, perhaps, for her friendship with Big Mac and possibly Applejack. But if everyone could just play along and pretend everything was fine, maybe it could work. Pinkie's spirits had begun to creep higher and higher when Fluttershy broke the silence between them.

"Pinkie, I've been thinking," she sighed, taking a seat. "And I want to make sure of something."

Pinkie nodded. She had a feeling that Fluttershy might have issues with her story, or might not even believe her, but that was fine. So long as she could put her adorable friend's mind at rest then everything would be just peachy. She hadn't lied to her, so there was nothing to worry about.

"It's about some of the things you've said. And… I need you to be honest with me."

"It's OK, Fluttershy. Ask away."

"Right." Fluttershy pursed her lips, appearing increasingly anxious. "Do you remember when you first planned all this? You know, when you took me up to Sweet Apple Acres, and then later you took me to Rarity's for that dress?"

Pinkie looked back confusedly. _Why is she asking me about that? _"Um… I sure do," she replied.

"I never really thought about it before, but…" Fluttershy steeled herself, taking a deep breath. "The way you spoke about Mac — I'd never heard you speak about anypony that way before."

Pinkie felt a lump form in her throat. "I… I'm not sure what you mean."

"You called him Ponyville's sexiest bachelor," Fluttershy said, stone-faced. "Even when you first took me to him, you said something like—"

"He's pretty hot, right?" Pinkie quoted nervously, her cheeks growing red. "I… I was just… I don't know why I said that, I mean, I was just trying to… Um…"

"Is that really all?" Fluttershy asked, staring deep into Pinkie's eyes. "You just said those things because you were trying to make _me _feel better about liking him?"

Pinkie opened her mouth to speak, but quickly hung her head dejectedly. "What does it matter? This isn't about how _I _feel about him, this is about _you_. I'm here to help _you_."

Fluttershy slinked her way over to Pinkie and grasped her in gentle hug. "So it _is _true. Pinkie, if you really felt that way, why did you do everything to help me be with him? Why didn't you—"

"Because who would've expected him to like me!?" Pinkie exclaimed. "Be serious, Fluttershy. Who could've possibly predicted the quiet farm colt would've wanted somepony like _me_? I'm loud, I'm obnoxious, I'm annoying…" She wrapped her hooves around Fluttershy's neck and pressed her chin into her shoulder. "I never thought in a million years that he'd feel this way. It doesn't matter, anyway."

"What doesn't matter? Pinkie, if 'd known you had feelings for him, things could've been different."

"Like what?" Pinkie sniffed. "Like some sort of challenge where we both try to win him over? I wouldn't even want to imagine something like that."

"No, that's not what I meant," Fluttershy whispered. "But Pinkie, why do all this for me? To not go after him is one thing but, why help me?"

Pinkie took a deep breath in an effort to steady her nerves. "Because when I saw you through the window, I could tell right away that you liked him. And then it clicked. Fluttershy and Big Mac — the perfect couple. I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it sooner. And so I thought that if I got you two together, I could forget all about him. I… I thought I could move on."

Pinkie felt exhausted, but somehow relieved. Her secret crush had been exposed, and it felt both right and wrong in equal measure. But one thing was for sure. She couldn't let this affect her friendship with Fluttershy. If anything, for them to both sit in the realms of failure would be better. At least then she could be there for her. She'd accepted having no chance with Big Mac, and no matter how _he _felt, it would have to make no difference. Fluttershy was what she'd fought for all this time, and that wasn't about to change.

Fluttershy held onto her friend as tightly as she could, not even stopping to wipe away at her own tears. She could hardly believe it. All of her crying and moping around, her refusal to look at things in a positive light… _I really am pathetic, _she cursed inwardly_. _And yet Pinkie had been willing to forego her own feelings just to help her. If she'd noticed Pinkie taking a shine to Big Mac she'd have hid herself away, secretly hoping that her friend would fail. _So what does that make me? It sure doesn't sound like something the Element of Kindness would do… No. I have to make it up to her. No matter how much it hurts and how much I cry, I'm not about to forsake my friend for my own selfish needs!_

"Pinkie, I want you to know something," Fluttershy began, loosening the hug just a little. "If you and Mac have a chance together, you can't let—"

"No! No!" Pinkie cried, shaking her head wildly. "I'd never do it, not in a million, bazillion years! I couldn't dream of doing that!"

"But I can't stop you," Fluttershy continued. "You wouldn't be doing anything wrong."

"Yes I would!" Pinkie exclaimed, throwing her hooves up in the air. "I'd be making you sad, and on purpose! And I'd have to stop seeing you or things would get awkward! No. No! I'm not going to let that happen!"

"But I'd be OK!" Fluttershy argued. "I'd get over it!"

"That's not good enough!" Pinkie shrieked. She paused for a moment, bringing her erratic breathing back into control and calming herself down. Beginning again, she spoke quietly and steadily. "You know what means more to me than anything else in the world? Seeing my friends smile. You know what I hate more than anything else in the world? Seeing my friends _not _smile. And even if I didn't have to _see _you not smiling, I'd still hate that a lot. So please, Fluttershy. Can't we just forget about all this and pretend like it never happened? _Please._"

Fluttershy was shocked. She knew that Pinkie might have been opposed to the idea, but her reaction was far more defensive than she'd expected. She could understand where Pinkie was coming from, but… If they pretended like it never happened; if things really did go back to the way things were, would it be any better? She was still lonely little Fluttershy, wishing for a life that seemed impossible. Still so alone…

"OK, Pinkie," Fluttershy said hesitantly. "We'll stop talking about it."

"Stop talking about what?" Pinkie chirped, a cheeky smile creeping onto her face.

Fluttershy smiled back, the oppressive atmosphere lifting. "I have no idea," she said with a smirk, eliciting a small giggle from Pinkie.

The pink earth pony took a brief look outside. "It's getting pretty late," she remarked, gazing at the maroon-coloured evening sky. Time had passed a lot quicker than she'd anticipated. "I guess I'd better get going. It'd be rude of me to outstay my welcome, even though I _have _made a habit out of it in the past."

"Or… you could stay," Fluttershy suggested, blushing a little. "I've heard about these 'slumber parties' before, but I've never had one myself."

"Slumber party!?" Pinkie cried out, leaping into the air and hovering momentarily. "I _love _slumber parties! At least, I _must _love slumber parties. I love all kinds of parties!"

"Then it's settled," Fluttershy chuckled, watching as Pinkie bounded about the room, her demeanour returning to its original, kooky splendour. It was difficult not to crack a smile when Pinkie got like this. In fact, it was exactly what she needed — a reason to smile. If she was being honest, the idea for having a slumber party just came out, but it seemed appropriate, not to mention a lot less needy-sounding than the truth. She didn't want to be alone tonight. If anything, she would feel abandoned again. Not only that, but there was something else. While Pinkie didn't want Big Mac brought up again, something still didn't add up. She wasn't sure, but she had a niggling feeling that Pinkie needed support more than she was letting on. As for why that might be… It pained her to think about it. "So what should we do first?"

Soon enough, the two friends began getting everything ready. While they didn't have marshmallows to toast over the fire (and the fact that it was too late for anywhere that would sell them to be open) they soon found that cherries made an adequate substitute. Even Angel got in on the action, but was soon disallowed after accidentally setting fire to his stick and dropping it on the rug. There was no damage — and the two ponies got a laugh out of it after their frantic scramble to put the fire out — so at least that didn't end in more misery.

As for telling ghost stories, despite Fluttershy's sweetly voiced delivery and barely frightening tale of a gingerbread man coming to life and destroying sweet shops, Pinkie hung on her every word, eventually gripping Angel like a stuffed teddy and letting out a terrified shriek upon Fluttershy's finishing line, "And the candy canes were never seen again!" Suffice to say, Angel soon tired of this treatment and bounded off in a huff. As soon as he'd left the room Pinkie pulled the grumpiest face she could manage and hopped around on her hind legs, causing Fluttershy to fall about in a fit of giggles at such a perfect impersonation of her beloved pet.

Eventually, night fell, and the two friends snuggled up beside one another in Fluttershy's bed. On any other occasion this might have been somewhat awkward, but for some reason it all felt natural, as if their previous ordeal had suddenly broken down a barrier that prevented them from showing their care and affection for one another. And given their fragile emotional states, this kind of comfort meant a lot.

"Nighty night!" Pinkie said excitedly before wrapping her hooves around Fluttershy and pulling her close. Though initially taken off guard, Fluttershy found herself growing warmer and more comfortable by the second, a nice alternative on these cold winter nights.

"Good night, Pinkie," she whispered back, blowing out the oil lamp and flopping her head onto the pillow. Her feelings of jealousy and contempt were subsiding, if only gradually. And yet, she couldn't help but feel guilty for all of this. As right as it felt to be there in that moment, something was missing. In fact, something felt wholly _wrong_. But as two days of exhaustion caught up with her, she soon succumbed to a deep sleep.

Pinkie was awake for a while longer. Being as excitable as she was, she always found it difficult to drift off, though Fluttershy's hypnotic breathing alleviated that somewhat. Sensing that the pegasus had fallen asleep, she smiled to herself. All that time spent crying into her pillow — afraid that Fluttershy might hate her — and she'd finally managed to make the young mare smile again. She wasn't going to win any happiness awards, but it still meant everything to her. And yet as she let her body go limp and allowed the land of nod to finally take over, for a moment — just a moment — she wished that it wasn't Fluttershy who lay beside her. Still smiling, a tear escaped and dripped down her cheek as she finally fell into a world of dreams.

* * *

"How could Ah be so stupid?" Big Mac muttered, wiping away his newly formed tears.

Cheerilee patted his neck caringly, silently cursing Pinkie Pie for doing what she'd done to him. _I guess she finally showed her true colours. All that crap about making ponies smile and she does this? What a heartless bitch…_

"Don't go blaming yourself," she cooed, still shocked by the sight of such a hulking stallion reduced to tears. She'd tended to young foals who'd been bullied or those who'd lost something of value, but this was different. "If that's the way she treats you then you don't need her," Cheerilee said affirmatively. "You deserve somepony better."

"But what if Ah don't _want _somepony else?" Big Mac asked, shaking his head solemnly.

"After the way she treated you? Kicking you in the face is the last straw, Mac. There's no way in Equestria you should stand for that. In a way, you're lucky you found this out sooner. Could you imagine dating her and then finding out she was like this?" As much as Cheerilee wanted to break into a full-blown rant, she knew that she needed to stay calm for Mac's sake. He was the one who was hurting the most, and he was the one who needed all the support he could get.

"Ah guess Ah forgive her for that," Mac said sadly. "Ah mean, Ah did kind of up 'n' kiss her out of the blue. "

"That doesn't make what she did any better. Mac, I know it hurts to hear this but you need to let her go. There's plenty of other mares out there who'd jump at the chance to be with you."

"Ah know what you're sayin'. And Ah know how Ah've been wastin' mah time chasin' after her. Well, not so much chasin' as just wishin'." Big Mac rested his head against the sofa and looked up to the ceiling, his mind wandering. "Ah had these crazy ideas about us getting' married an' goin' on all sorts of trips around Equestria. With her around, nothin' would be boring. It'd be excitin'." He lowered his head back down. "Ah ain't had much o' that since mah folks passed. An' she's just so… Ah ain't even got the words for it."

Cheerilee rested her head on his shoulder, feeling every ounce of regret and loneliness drip from his words. She'd felt this way many years ago. Back when a pony called Tour-De Force swept her off her hooves, only for her to find out that the supposed saint already had a filly-friend. She had moved on from him, just as Mac would move on from Pinkie. But it was never an easy thing to do. Sometimes, ponies just needed a helping hoof.

"Thanks for listenin' to me," Big Mac sighed, his eyes closed as he tried relaxing his mind. "Ah don't mean to burden you with all mah prob—"

Cheerilee pressed her lips to Mac's mouth and held there for just a moment, her left hoof running through his mane. Slowly, she brought her head back and stared deeply into his eyes.

"W-hat are ya doing?" Big Mac asked in shock, his heart pounding at the inside of his chest.

"I'm trying to help you," Cheerilee whispered back, craning her hind leg over Mac's torso and pulling herself onto him. "Don't pretend you've never thought about it."

"But—"

"Don't you go worrying," Cheerilee said softly, a smile coming to her face. "It can mean as much or as little to you as you want. You don't need to commit to anything, Mac. I'm doing this for _you_."

Big Mac stared at his friend in awe, not even sure what to make of anything. "You really mean it, don't you?"

"Of course I do," she replied, running a hoof slowly down his chest and feeling it contract against her touch. "I want to make you feel better." She pulled her hips towards him, her body quivering with anticipation. "Whatever it takes."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – Happy Ever After?

Big Mac sighed to himself once again as he plodded along the dirt track leading to Sweet Apple Acres. So much had happened in just a few short days and despite his best efforts to work past them, so far he'd only managed to dig himself deeper into the trench.

He was the stallion of the house, the one who needed to be strong for the rest of them. But now, he was stuck acting like a downtrodden colt pushing his family away from him. Applebloom would be too young to hear about his ordeal. He didn't even _want _to hear what advice Granny Smith might dump on him, and Applejack… It just seemed _wrong _to go telling his sister tales about her best friends. And so he'd unloaded his problems onto Cheerilee. _An' look how that turned out, _he mused regrettably.

Were they still friends, or had things been changed forever? Was there any way of going back? Did he _want _to go back? All in all, just trying to make sense of his feelings gave him a headache. He was hungry, too. On any other day he might consider stopping off at Sugarcube Corner for a bite to eat, but that would probably be the stupidest thing possible. In actual fact, he'd purposely taken an alternate route from Cheerilee's house in order to steer well clear of there.

Big Mac swung open the wooden gate and trotted along the path up to his front door. If he was lucky, he'd have still made it in time for breakfast. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door slowly with an annoyingly loud _creeeeak _signifying his return. Much to his expectation, he heard Applejack mutter something about his arrival and come pottering on through. The door to the living room opened and out she walked, looking a little dishevelled.

"Mac?" she remarked, wearing a half-smile.

"Eeyup. Breakfast ready?"

To his surprise, Applejack crept forward and wrapped a hoof around his neck caringly. "You coulda told me, ya big lout," she said with a nervous chuckle. "What did ya think Ah was gonna do? Flip mah lid?"

"What do ya mean?" Mac asked anxiously.

"Ah know what's been goin' on," Applejack replied, her smile fading as she regarded the state of her brother. "You forget Ah'm here to support you? Ya need to talk, we can talk."

"How did you find out?"

"Ya got a visitor." Applejack gestured towards the living room doorway. "Ah wouldn't keep her waitin' if Ah were you." With that said, Applejack stood back, waiting expectantly for him to comply.

_Pinkie came here? Oh, darn it… _Mac thought to himself. His head was already screwed up, and seeing Pinkie again would surely make things worse. Then again, given that he'd run out of places to escape to, there wasn't much of a choice. Realising it was probably for the best that he did as his sister told him, he hesitantly moved into the other room. To his surprise, Fluttershy greeted him with a warm smile.

"Hey," she said softly, just as Applejack closed the door behind him.

"Hey," he echoed, mimicking the mare's smile as best he could. He knew that it was fake for the both of them, but perhaps things could get better. "Didn't expect to see you here. How ya been?" _Darn it, what kinda question is that? How do ya think she's been?_

"Well, not so great," Fluttershy muttered predictably, her grin fading. "And I can't imagine you've been doing so great either."

Big Mac sighed, awkwardly brushing a hoof through his mane. "Eeyup," he agreed glumly. "Listen, Fluttershy. Ah'm real sorry about what happened. Ah shouldn't have just run off like that an' Ah… Ah can't apologise enough."

"It's alright," Fluttershy replied sweetly, smiling once again. "You can't control the way you feel just like I can't control how _I _feel."

Big Mac took the seat next to her, feeling guiltier than ever at the sight of such a beautiful, innocent creature in the throes of heartbreak at his own hoof. The desire to comfort her with a hug sprung up, but he didn't want to do any more harm than good. Her emotions had been toyed with enough.

"Pinkie told me what happened," Fluttershy muttered, twiddling her hooves awkwardly. "She told me a lot of things. In fact, that's… why I'm here."

* * *

_Earlier that day_

Fluttershy's eyelids creaked open. She drifted in a semi-dreamlike state for a few seconds, trying to make sense of her surroundings. The first thing she became aware of was the mare led beside her, sleeping soundly. Fluttershy noticed that her hoof was wrapped around Pinkie's midsection, and she couldn't help but smile. She'd never felt _close _to any of her friends before. _Does this mean that Pinkie is now my best friend? _she thought. She realised that she'd never had a 'best' friend before, and considered that Pinkie had more in common with her than she'd ever realised.

Straining her eyes, Fluttershy looked around the room, confused by how dark it was. It never mattered from which direction the sun rose; the cottage's open plan and numerous windows practically made it glow whenever light was introduced.

_It's not morning yet, _she realised, peering out of the window at the twinkling stars above. It was odd for her to wake up so early, but she guessed that given the circumstances, sleeping soundly wasn't as easy as usual. She took a deep breath and sidled up to Pinkie again, grateful to have someone with her at such a time.

Seeing Pinkie at such a peaceful rest reminded Fluttershy of how much she had wrongly assumed of her friend. Pinkie was always so energetic, excitable and over-the-top friendly that it was often difficult to remember she was just like every other pony. She could feel happy, sad or guilty, even if it didn't always show. She was capable of truly altruistic acts of kindness, putting others needs before her. As much as it might not seem it, she also knew when she'd gone too far, when her behaviour was just too much for other ponies to bear. And she had her own dreams and desires…

Fluttershy sighed. It was an awkward situation to be in, but maybe Pinkie was right. Maybe pretending that none of this had happened was the right thing to do. If Pinkie really had such strong feelings for Mac, why would she have gone to so much effort to set her up with a friend? Pinkie said that she didn't think Big Mac could ever like her, but surely even then Pinkie would have made an effort to impress him. This was _Pinkie Pie_ for Celestia's sake — the most extrovert, confident mare around. There was no way she'd hold back if she _really _liked him. If all she'd done was compliment his looks it was probably just a fleeting crush or natural attraction to a handsome, well-built stallion. There was nothing wrong with appreciating the attractiveness of other ponies, so that was probably all it was.

Fluttershy spent a few minutes trying to fall back asleep but failed miserably. Admitting defeat, she sat upright. Her mind was swimming with thoughts, and drifting off just didn't seem possible. With nothing better to do, Fluttershy crept out of bed and downstairs, grabbing a glass of water from the kitchen. Passing the mantelpiece clock she saw that it was barely four o' clock in the morning, not nearly late enough to start the day.

She sat down on her sofa, taking a sip from her drink. _What am I even doing? _she asked herself. _I should be happy right now. All that time I was depressed because I was alone, and now Pinkie's proved that I'm not alone at all. A family of my own? I have that already. My friends are like a family to me. They're closer than I ever knew, especially Pinkie. _Fluttershy rubbed her forehead, feeling an aching pain resonate through her. _So why do I feel like something's wrong? Why am I not content?_

Sitting alone in the dark, Fluttershy watched as the sky outside slowly started to brighten, nothing but the steady _tick-tock _amidst the overwhelming silence. She wondered how different things could have been. Would she have been better off if she'd never made a move on Big Mac in the first place? Pinkie was the one who'd instilled her with hope that she had a chance. Before any of that, the idea of being with Big Mac was a ridiculous fantasy that seemed impossible. Was it enough to know that she'd given it her best shot but failed, or would it have been better to never make the attempt in the first place?

All these thoughts swam in Fluttershy's mind until finally, she remembered something. She got up and slowly paced her way back upstairs, moving as quietly as she could. She slinked up to Pinkie's side of the bed, brushing the mare's mane away from her face. As soon as she'd done this, Fluttershy clutched a hoof to her heart.

She'd remembered that Pinkie had felt just the way she had. They'd both believed that Big Mac could never love them, that they weren't good enough for him. Believing that you were doomed to fail was awful. Finding out for definite that you were doomed to fail was terrible. But discovering that you could've succeeded all along if only you hadn't believed in failure was even worse.

Pinkie had the duvet held tightly to her chest, two thin lines leading down from her eyes. Her face bore no smile, just a look of despair. Fluttershy's eyes began to water. Gently, she kissed Pinkie's forehead, the mare squirming slightly in her sleep. _It's OK. You don't have to cry again. I'm going to do the right thing, Pinkie. _

_For the both of us._

* * *

"No, Ah can't."

"Why not?" Cheerilee whispered, stroking a hoof through Mac's mane. "I know how you feel, Mac. I've been through it myself. You're rejected by the one you want most and you feel unloved, maybe even unlovable. You don't deserve to feel that way, Mac." Cheerilee kissed his left cheek, bringing her mouth to his ear. "Just let me be there for you. It's the least I can do."

"This ain't right," Big Mac protested. "Don't make this harder for me. Ah just can't… Ah can't deal with…"

"Can't deal with what?"

Mac lowered his head. "Ah can't deal with breakin' another heart. 'Specially not one that belongs to mah best friend."

Cheerilee bit her lips, feeling the onset of tears. "I can still be your best friend. I can be anything you want. Just… please. I want to make you feel better."

"Well this ain't the way to do it," Mac replied matter-of-factly. "This ain't what Ah want at all. No good could ever come o' this. If Ah've already screwed with your emotions there ain't no point takin' it any further. Ah'm sorry."

"I figured as much," Cheerilee muttered, forcing a smile. "It was worth a try though, right?"

"Ah didn't want it to be this way. If Ah'd have known—"

"If you'd known we wouldn't have become friends in the first place." Cheerilee laughed nervously, resting her head on Mac's shoulder. "And I still _am _your friend, regardless of my feelings for you. You know that, right?"

Big Mac nodded, feeling every tremble in the mare's body as she held him close. "Ah know it."

"But if you ever change your mind," Cheerilee said softly, "You just let me know, OK? I'll still be here if you need me."

"Ah'm sure you will," Mac uttered in response. "But Ah only need you as a friend." Carefully, he lifted the sullen mare's hooves from his shoulders and picked himself up off the sofa. He gazed deeply into her eyes, seeing clear as day just how much she yearned for him. "If doin' that is too painful for you, Ah'll understand. Ah won't bother you again. Ah hope you can find a way past it so that we can go back to bein' the best friends we once were, but… You can't do it for me. You gotta do it for yourself."

Cheerilee, wiped away at her eyes, struggling to keep herself composed. "I'll let you know," she said solemnly. "I just need to figure it out for myself."

"Take as much time as you need. Ah hope you make the right choice."

Cheerilee smiled. "Me too, Mac. Me too…"

Big Mac said his goodbye and closed the door behind him, leaving Cheerilee alone once again. She stepped towards the window, watching the one she loved most trace his steps back towards Sweet Apple Acres. Without warning the floodgates opened, and Cheerilee fell to the floor in a crumpled heap, clutching at her chest. "I just wanted you to be happy," she sobbed. "That's all I ever wanted..."

* * *

Pinkie opened her eyes and let out a weary yawn. Noticing that her hair was poking every which way she shook her head madly, her mane springing back to its usual bouncing curls. Clicking her neck for good measure, the energetic earth pony leapt out of bed.

"I don't know about you, Fluttershy, but I slept like a…"

Pinkie trailed off as she noticed the empty bed. Somehow unconvinced, she threw back the covers and dived under the pillows. Once that proved fruitless, she crawled under the bed, almost sending it sky-high with a sneeze from the surrounding dust.

"So it's a game of hide and seek, is it!?" Pinkie called out playfully, pulling a set of goggles from behind her back marked with the word 'X-RAY'. "I hope you're ready! They don't call me Pinkamena Diane Find-You-Quick Pie for nothing!"

In a flash, Pinkie had searched through all of the drawers, the wardrobes, behind the curtains and even under the mat of Fluttershy's room. Satisfied that she'd left no stone unturned she crept downstairs as quietly as possible, keeping a keen eye out for any wings or tail that might be sticking out from somewhere. In a sudden move she leapt towards the sofa and pulled back the cushions, only to find nothing.

_She's good at this, _Pinkie thought to herself, flicking the switch on her x-ray specs._ I've gotta hand it to her. Or should it be 'hoof it' to her? I'm not physically giving something, but I'm certainly not using any hands since I don't have any, but saying I 'hoof it' to her sounds kind of weird. Maybe I should have studied more in English class. Or would that be Equestrian class? I don't live in England, so wouldn't it be… Wait, where was I? Oh yeah!_

Pinkie searched every corner, cupboard, shelf, closet, nook and cranny for her beloved friend but turned up empty hooved. Needing some time to come up with a new strategy she plopped herself onto the sofa and brought a hoof to her chin, mulling over what possible places she could have missed. After a few moments she was approached by Angel holding out a slip of paper eagerly.

"A letter? For me!? Thanks, Angel!" she cried, grabbing the note and reading through.

_Good morning, Pinkie._

_Sorry for not telling you this but I didn't want to wake you. I have some important things that I need to take care of in town. Don't worry, I'll be back soon enough. However, I don't suppose you could do me a favour and feed my animals? I'm sure Angel will be willing to help, and you can have some of my chocolate truffle as thanks._

"Way ahead of you there!" Pinkie exclaimed, cramming the last piece into her mouth and licking chocolate from her lips. The rest of the letter comprised of feeding instructions for Fluttershy's many critters, starting with the chickens. "Well, this'll be a walk in the bwark, right Angel? Get it? Because that's the noise chickens make! Bwark!"

After a moment's face-pawing Angel followed after Pinkie, who was now bouncing along with a sack of grain.

Upon reaching the chicken coop Pinkie gave a silent salute and combed back her mane, quickly restyling it to resemble Fluttershy's. As far as she was concerned, if she wanted to act like Fluttershy she needed to do everything in her power to 'be' Fluttershy. With a pair of paper wings tied to her midsection, Pinkie set out to follow her friend's instructions down to the wire, carefully measuring out the contents of each food bowl with obsessive accuracy. When the chickens gave each other a confused look at the sight of their new 'owner' Pinkie did her best to employ Fluttershy's famous stare tactic, but this didn't do much except cause the chickens to back away warily. Thankfully, they soon chowed down on their breakfast and Pinkie breathed a sigh of relief.

Next on the list were the ducks, to which Angel helped out considerably. Considering how lazy and grumpy the bunny usually was it came as a surprise to Pinkie, who hadn't really seen him act this way. He didn't make an effort to communicate as such, but stayed at her side, dishing out the necessary meals before hopping off to the next animal. In a sense, Pinkie found it somewhat unnerving, but she was appreciative of his help.

Feeding Fluttershy's animals was harder and took far longer than Pinkie had anticipated. It didn't help that many of them were caught off guard by the pseudo-Fluttershy (since Pinkie was adamant about keeping up the pegasus' appearance) though Angel did enough to bring them around. While filling up seed dispensers for a group of songbirds Pinkie's curiosity got the better of her.

"So… Angel? Do you always help Fluttershy with this stuff?"

The white rabbit shifted his gaze away, shaking his head solemnly before looking to the next item on the list. Pinkie put the list to one side, however, and brought his attention to her.

"You don't need to worry about all this, you know. Take a seat! Relax! Auntie Pinkie has this all under control! Haven't you eaten yet?"

Angel shook his head and eagerly leapt back to the list, grabbing it in his paw. Without turning back to Pinkie he bounded away angrily, making a quiet 'humph' sound as he left.

"It's OK, Angel," Pinkie said, raising her voice as he hopped further away. "You want to help her any way you can, don't you?"

Angel stopped in his tracks and looked to the ground, his ears drooping behind his head. As Pinkie approached he slowly looked up and nodded sadly.

"And you _are_," Pinkie assured, running a hoof across his back. He held onto her hoof, appearing to be on the verge of tears. "And things _will _get better. You'll see! The worst is over for Fluttershy. From here, things can only get better!"

_Things can only get better, _Pinkie repeated to herself mentally. _It'll all go back to normal soon and this will all be just a distant memory. In time… In time…_

As Angel continued to stare into the dirt, Pinkie grabbed him and placed him on her back. "Come on," she said, a little more reservedly this time. "We're nearly finished. We wouldn't want to disappoint Fluttershy by doing half a job, would we?"

Soon enough, the rest of the work was done. It had taken roughly two hours from start to finish, which had even managed to take its toll on the usually energetic party mare. Pinkie breathed a sigh of relief and slumped into the sofa as Angel sat next to her, slowly munching on a ripe, orange carrot. Pinkie shook her head, returning her mane back to its usual state in mere seconds.

"What I want to know is, how does Fluttershy even afford to keep all these animals? Flying lessons?" Angel rolled his eyes in response. "Ooh, tough crowd! OK, I've got a good one! Did you hear Rainbow Dash went on a cider diet? She's lost three days already!"

Angel merely stared back blankly.

"Alright…" Pinkie said awkwardly. "I've got a better one! I went to the travel agents last week about my holidays and saw this big poster of the Crystal Empire. I said to the receptionist, 'I wanna go there', so she pinned me to the wall!"

Angel buried his face into his paw.

"Ooh! Ooh! How about this one? Last week I went to the doctor and told him that I'd broken my leg in several places. He said, 'well you shouldn't go to those places!' Oh, and how about—"

Pinkie was cut off by the front door opening to reveal Fluttershy. Angel threw his paws into the air as if to say 'finally', and eagerly hopped to greet his owner. Fluttershy gave him a quick hug, shooting Pinkie a cheerful grin. "Sorry I left without saying goodbye. Did you manage to feed them alright?"

"You betcha!" Pinkie exclaimed. "And don't forget Angel, he helped too. So… What super-important errand did you have to run? If you're trying to organise another surprise birthday party for me you're about seven months early, you know."

"I know that, Pinkie. I went to see Big Mac."

Pinkie's smile immediately faded into a confused expression. "You… went to see Mac?"

"That's right," Fluttershy affirmed, still grinning. "I know you said we should just pretend nothing ever happened, but I don't feel that way, Pinkie. Things being left unsaid… Well, that's partly the reason any of this happened in the first place. Wouldn't you agree?"

Pinkie hesitated to answer, instead taken aback by Fluttershy's revelation. "Is everything OK, Fluttershy? You're smiling, so does that mean… You two…?"

"No, Pinkie. That's not why I even visited him." Fluttershy took a seat next to Pinkie, taking a deep breath before continuing. Her smile remained present. "I refuse to let you do this to yourself."

"Do what?" Pinkie asked nervously.

Fluttershy placed a caring hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. "I know you're doing it for my sake but… Maybe you shouldn't."

"But Fluttershy, I thought we said—"

"I know what we said," Fluttershy interrupted with, shaking her head. "But what if I disagree? Pinkie, you tried so hard to bring Mac and I together, despite having feelings for him yourself. And now you can finally be with him. There's nothing stopping you anymore."

Pinkie's ears drooped. "But what about you?"

"Me? I'm just some silly mare with a crush. Nothing more." Fluttershy sighed and moved closer to her friend, who now appeared at a loss for words. "You should've heard the way he talked about you, Pinkie. He's hurting too, more than you might expect. You could be there for him."

"But what if I don't want to?" Pinkie whispered, holding back the tears. This wasn't what she'd expected. The last thing she wanted to do was cause any more pain, _especially _for Fluttershy.

"Then that's up to you," Fluttershy answered softly. "But you should still at least give him an apology. After what happened the other night he's in a really bad state. I've already said you'd meet him tonight."

"What!?" Pinkie cried out. "But… why?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. You owe yourself this, Pinkie. If not for Big Mac or even yourself, then for me."

"But it'll upset you," Pinkie retorted weakly.

"Do I look upset?" Fluttershy shot back, that same sweet _Fluttershy _smile plastered on her face. "No, Pinkie. What upsets me is the thought that I'm getting in the way of two ponies who want to be with each other." To the pegasus' surprise, Angel grasped onto her hoof, looking up to her caringly. "I mean it," she reaffirmed, stroking Angel's ears back. "I know I've cried. I know I've been through tough times, and I'm not saying everything has gone perfectly, but I'd feel a whole lot worse if I didn't let you have at least a chance."

Pinkie sighed deeply, wrapping her forelegs around Fluttershy in a warm embrace. "I guess I should at least tell him I'm sorry," she muttered, burying her head into the pegasus' shoulder. "What I did _was _really mean."

"That's good, Pinkie. That's good."

"But this is… I don't know. After everything that's happened, it's all gone wrong, hasn't it?"

"Then make it right again," Fluttershy whispered. "Whatever you want to say to him, and whatever he wants to say to you, it needs to happen. I said you'd meet him on Wicker Hill tonight at nine o' clock, so you'd better not be late. You'll be free by that time, right?"

Pinkie paused for a moment, staring deeply into Fluttershy's eyes. "You're doing all this, Fluttershy. You didn't have to, and I even said not to. Why? I… I don't even know what to say."

"You can say 'thank you', if it makes you feel any better," Fluttershy replied. "And things will still be the same between us, maybe even _better_. And whatever happens between you and Mac? Well, that's none of my business." Fluttershy glanced over to the clock on the mantelpiece. "You might want to check back with Mr and Mrs Cake; I'd imagine they're worried sick about you."

"I guess you're right," Pinkie half-agreed, bringing her hooves to the floor. "They've got some big orders to fill today and they probably need my help. You know how it is."

"Oh, but of course."

The two mares trotted towards the door, Pinkie hesitantly so. She couldn't help but feel something was wrong with what Fluttershy had said. And yet, the yellow pegasus might really be telling the truth. She was the Element of Kindness, so it was only natural that she would find joy in being nice to others. Pinkie stopped at the doorstep and turned to her friend.

"Thank you, Fluttershy. And… I really do mean that."

"I know you do," Fluttershy replied, giving Pinkie one last hug. "And it means a lot. Good luck for tonight, by the way. Not that I think you'll need it, but… It feels right to say that."

"Thanks, again. I guess I'll see you around soon," said Pinkie, finally breaking into her usual smile.

"Take care."

Pinkie trotted down the path, turning back as she reached the small bridge to wave goodbye. Fluttershy waved back, and stepped back inside her home, shutting the door behind her and breathing a sigh of relief. She stopped for a moment to tend to Angel, who had been looking up at her expectantly since she'd arrived back. He smiled cheerfully at her, glad to finally see Fluttershy with her spirits lifted. However, his smile soon faded as the tears began to flow.

Fluttershy walked back to the sofa, visibly trembling with each step. She wiped at her eyes with one hoof and turned back to Angel, keeping her smile intact with the best of efforts. "I did the right thing," she said under her breath, pulling Angel into a tight cuddle, her tears spilling across his coat. "And that's what matters most."

* * *

_Later that evening_

Big Mac sat alone at the dining room table, rolling the last few drops of cider around the base of his tankard. He'd been clock-watching for the past hour, unable to put his mind to anything useful. It didn't help that there was so much he _could _be doing, but his earlier conversation with Fluttershy had given him too much to think about.

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock. _

Mac sighed, downing the last of his drink. It wasn't long now before he'd have to make his way over to Wicker Hill. He struggled to consider that Fluttershy might be right. Pinkie might just have had feelings for him all along. But if that were true, why had all of this happened? She'd sworn that she could never love him to his face. Merely relaying that memory sent a chill running down his spine.

As Mac set the tankard aside, Applejack gently creaked open the door and took to the chair opposite. "How ya holdin' up, Mac?"

"Fine, Ah guess," he replied, rubbing his sleep-deprived eyes. "You?"

"Well Applebloom's finally got herself to bed after the third darn story reading," Applejack said with a chuckle. "Ah guess part o' me wants her to grow up, but then Ah also guess part o' me wants her to stay just the way she is."

Mac nodded silently in response, not having looked up to his sister since she'd entered. Applejack startled him by bringing her hoof down onto the table.

"Ah think it's high time Ah came out an' said it," Applejack said with a sigh. "Seems the best time as any." The mare lay back into her chair as Mac finally gave her notice. "Ya know, Ah kind of thought all this was gonna happen. You an' one of mah friends hitchin' up. Seems obvious all things considered."

Big Mac shrugged, feeling put on the spot. This was exactly the kind of conversation he _didn't _want to be having with his sister.

"An' yet, Ah _never _wanted it to happen," Applejack continued. "Ah had a hunch you liked Pinkie, an' it just made me _angry_, for no reason whatsoever!"

Mac furrowed his brow. "Angry?"

"Angry, annoyed… Heck, Ah don't quite know what it is. It makes no sense, right? Why should any o' that matter to me at all? But Ah guess the point is… Ah'm jealous."

"Jealous?"

"Of you. Of everypony. Of the idea that you an' mah friends can find love." Applejack let out a weary sigh. "Ah ain't got even the faintest idea of how to find that special somepony. Some days Ah feel like it'll _never _happen. There ain't nopony Ah like, nopony Ah could even _think _of likin'. But at the same time Ah _want_ somepony. An' seein' this happen with you an' mah friends… It's as if everypony else is livin' a life Ah'll never have. And it hurts."

"But AJ, you—" Big Mac was cut off as Applejack held up a hoof to him. Obediently, he shut his mouth once again.

"Ah know what you're gonna say, but please, let me finish," Applejack said sadly. "An' so Ah started to think selfishly. When things didn't go your way a few nights ago Ah was actually _glad_. Ah _wanted _you to fail since the beginnin'. That ain't right, ya know."

Applejack dropped down from her seat and trotted over to Mac, wrapping a foreleg around his neck. "But seein' you the way you've been, how could Ah ever want that? It don't matter how weird it might be for me, if bein' with Pinkie is gonna make you happy, then that's what Ah want for you."

"Thanks," Mac muttered, returning his sister's hug. "Ah appreciate it."

"Ain't nothin' to it," Applejack said cheerfully, giving him a pat on the back. "Now you go out there an' be the best darn stallion you can be. Ah'm expectin' plenty o' little nieces an' nephews down the line, big brother!"

Big Mac blushed uncontrollably, averting his gaze away. "A b-bit too soon to b-be thinkin' of th-that, ain't it?"

Applejack let out a hearty chuckle and patted his back harder than before, almost winding the flustered stallion. "Ah'll let you be the judge of that!" she said with a wink, and left the room, still laughing to herself.

_No pressure then, _Big Mac thought as he went back to staring at the clock. He considered that at least he could talk to Applejack about his worries and woes concerning Pinkie from now on. Before that, the only one who'd be truly willing to listen was Cheerilee, and after what happened that morning it just didn't seem like an option anymore.

After a few minutes passed, Big Mac pushed himself back from the table and plodded towards the door. This would be it. Things could very well be different by the time he came back this way. Steeling himself, he opened up the door and trotted out into the night, not looking back. As far as he knew, this could very well be the beginning of his happy ever after.

* * *

Big Mac trudged his way up the side of Wicker Hill, wondering for a moment if he'd arrived too early. And yet sure enough, Pinkie Pie was sitting patiently at its summit, staring pensively at the night sky. Mac's heart skipped a beat as she turned to him, that same sweet smile, dazzling blue eyes and beautiful pink mane. After spending the last two days feeling sorry for himself he remembered just what had drawn him to her in the first place.

"Hi," Pinkie said softly, blushing. "Long time no see."

Big Mac took to a patch of grass a respectable distance away and smiled back. "Eeyup."

"First of all, I just wanna say how sorry I am." Pinkie's smile fell for a moment and she looked to the ground. "What I said to you after the party… I can only image how much that hurt you. I was angry and scared. And even when you poured your heart out to me and I just… I should never have said those things. And I should never have resorted to violence, no matter how I felt."

"Ah'm sorry things ain't worked out," Mac replied, shuffling a little closer.

"You're not the one who's at fault here," Pinkie said with a nervous chuckle. "If anything this is all _my _fault. If I hadn't played match-maker nopony would have gotten hurt."

Mac shuffled closer still and put a friendly hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. "We all make mistakes. Ain't nothing wrong with that. An' as far as Ah'm concerned, apology accepted."

"Thanks," Pinkie muttered. "That's what I was afraid of most, you know. You never forgiving me. I don't know if _I_ could forgive me."

Big Mac brushed a hoof through Pinkie's mane, watching her blush as he did so. Seeing Pinkie in such a state made his heart melt. He always knew there was more to her than the outlandish party mare; she was a mindful, kind saint in her own right. And the way she looked in the faint moonlight… Mac was putting every ounce of effort into controlling himself. "You look beautiful, ya know."

"You're such a charmer," Pinkie replied, giggling nervously and leaning into his outstretched hoof. "You always were kind of a mystery. I guess that's why I got interested in you in the first place."

"An' you were always so happy an' full o' life. There ain't much excitement to be had on the farm, truth be told. But when you're around, all Ah wanna do is smile and jump around like a little foal." Mac let out a sigh, wrapping his foreleg around Pinkie's neck. "This could work. You an' me, Ah mean."

"I know…" Pinkie whispered, gazing away for a moment. "But it's… It's hard."

"Sorry about that," Mac said with a wink.

"No, silly!" Pinkie exclaimed bashfully. "I mean, it'll never be easy. I just don't know if I can… I keep thinking about Fluttershy. She's been hurting so much over this."

"She made as much clear this mornin'. But… She was also the one to get us seein' each other. She did this for us."

"But maybe I want something _else,_" Pinkie murmured.

Big Mac's heart sank. "Somethin'… else?"

"You're right. It _could _work. And I really do like you, Mac. I have for a while now. And maybe if none of this had happened I'd want to be with you more than anything, but…"

"But?" Big Mac felt a tugging at his heart.

"But maybe it's for the best if it _doesn't_." Pinkie pulled herself into Mac's warm embrace, resting her head against his chest. "I don't know if I could deal with it. Seeing you on one hoof, hanging out with Fluttershy on the other, not while I'm doing the one thing that'd be hurting her the most. She may have said she wants us to have a chance, but it's still too much for me to bear, Mac. I can't do it to her. She… She means too much to me."

Big Mac held Pinkie close, just barely averting a tearful outbreak. "Ah'll still be thinkin' of you."

"Such a charmer," Pinkie whispered, circling a hoof across his back. "I wish things could've been different. And maybe… Maybe someday they will be. But Fluttershy needs me right now. And I kinda need her."

Before Mac could reply, Pinkie leant in and planted a kiss squarely on his left cheek. He rubbed against it with his hoof, wishing he could hold onto that kiss forever. "Ah understand."

"I knew you would," Pinkie said, staring up at him. "I... Goodbye."

With that, Pinkie turned on her hoof and galloped off into the distance, leaving Big Mac alone once again. He toyed with the idea of racing after her for a brief second, but instead silently admitted his loss. And yet, it was neither a victory _nor _a defeat. At a loss for words, and even actions, Big Mac sat for a while atop Wicker Hill, trying to put his mind in order.

He'd been rejected. Again. That still hurt, no question about it. But there was still that glimmer of hope. It was like Pinkie said, maybe someday things would be different. Fluttershy meant more to her now, but maybe that would change.

_How? _Mac asked himself inwardly, laying back on the grass. What was to say Pinkie wouldn't lose interest in him? She wouldn't be hurting Fluttershy by dating any other stallions, so she could do so all she wanted. Mac slapped a hoof over his face, wishing that he could've convinced her otherwise. He could've kissed her passionately on the lips, held her close and begged for her to stay, begged for her to follow her heart. She could be with him _and _still show kindness towards Fluttershy. He could've told her that, letting loose just how much he needed her, how much he yearned for her.

Mac pounded at the ground angrily, annoyed at himself for not having the guts to do such things. He trudged back home, hanging his head in shame. Going for long walks in winter often did wonders when it came to easing his mind, but that didn't hold much truth anymore. His sadness had been replaced by anger, at himself, at the world.

Upon reaching Sweet Apple Acres he pushed the door open quietly and crept up to his bedroom, not wanting to tell Applejack the bad news. At least, not yet. Right now, he wanted to curl up into his covers and let the day come to an end. There were events that needed organizing, chores that needed doing, and important tasks to carry out on the farm. They would become his main concerns from now on. Eventually, despite tossing and turning for a short while, Big Mac finally managed to drift off.

* * *

_Big Mac opened up the door to Sugarcube Corner and stepped inside. Vinyl Scratch stood beside her decks, music blaring, while a disco ball spun from the ceiling. Strangely, the room was almost completely empty. In fact, besides him and Vinyl, there was no-one else. Confused, Mac trotted over to the table near the far wall and poured himself a drink. With nothing else to do he knocked it back. For something so brightly-coloured it was strangely bland and tasteless. _

"_Where is everypony!?" he called out, his voice sounding all too quiet._

"_Don't worry! They'll be here soon!" Vinyl called back, seemingly too busy bopping her head to the beat. _

_Mac sighed, taking a look from one side of the room to the other. For somepony who was revered at planning the best parties, Pinkie's current effort was far off the mark. Finishing his drink, he slammed the glass to the table and peered over towards what appeared to be a dimly lit kitchen area. _

"_Pinkie? You there?" he called._

_Suddenly, the music stopped. Mac turned back to where Vinyl Scratch had been standing and found that the DJ had vanished. Confused, he trotted over to the turntable, but there was still no sign of her. Realising that he was alone, he turned on his hoof and walked back to the door, ready to leave. Just as he touched the handle, he heard a voice behind him._

"_Don't go yet!"_

_Big Mac turned around to see Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy stood back at the table, both smiling. He smiled back and began to trot over. "Hey."_

"_Hello, Mac," Fluttershy said bashfully. "We're glad you could make it."_

"_Well thanks."_

"_No, Mac," Pinkie grinned, letting out a giggle. "I mean we're _really _glad you could make it."_

"_Ah don't get what you… mean…"_

_Big Mac trailed off as the two mares swaggered towards him seductively, their eyes half-lidded. He froze as Fluttershy leaned towards him and pecked his left cheek, her cheeks glowing red. Pinkie wrapped a foreleg around his neck and kissed his right cheek, staring deeply into his eyes._

"_W-what's g-going on here?" Mac trembled, taken aback by the mares' actions._

"_Oh, you'll see," Pinkie whispered, and pushed him away with one hoof. Despite his tremendous body-strength he toppled backwards, bracing himself for impact against the hard, tiled floor. However, something soft cushioned his fall. Looking around, he saw that he'd landed on a silky, white mattress. The two flirtatious mares loomed over him from either side of the bed. _

"_Look, Pinkie," said Fluttershy, carefully examining Mac's body from head to hoof. "I think I've read about this kind of behaviour in animals. It looks like he's… _presenting._"_

"_Oh, really?" Pinkie exclaimed, licking her lips. "Is there any cure for this condition?"_

"_Just one," Fluttershy stated, shuffling on her hooves. "But I can't possibly treat this poor beast with my best dress on. Why, I'm practically sweltering to death." With a stomp of her hoof, Fluttershy's silk red dress fell apart at the seams, nothing but strands of red ribbons falling to the floor. "Oh, that's so much better," she gasped with relief, flicking her tail from side to side._

_Big Mac tried to say something, but no sound came out. He merely stared in disbelief as the two mares clambered up onto the bed, their eyes never leaving his. The disco ball began to spin again, a cascade of tiny pink hearts dancing across the walls. _

_Pinkie leapt forward suddenly, pulling her face close to his. Winking cheekily, she pressed her lips to his as they indulged in a deep, passionate kiss. Big Mac combed through her mane and proceeded to run a hoof along her spine. She giggled foalishly, breaking the kiss and resting her head against his chest._

"_Is it my turn yet?" Fluttershy asked timidly, creeping towards him, her long, flowing mane spreading across his torso. "I'm the expert on taming animals, after all. In fact, I'm especially good at taming snakes..."_

_Big Mac gritted his teeth — his muscles tensing involuntarily — as Fluttershy moved in, looking at him with the eyes of a lost puppy dog. She smiled — pausing momentarily — and brought her mouth to his. She let out a quiet moan as their lips smacked against one another, her hoof meandering across his chest. Mac ran his hoof in circles across her back, relishing her uncannily soft fur. _

"_Sorry!" Pinkie called from down below, wiping sweat from her forehead. Somehow she'd managed to adorn a school-filly's outfit in the few seconds Mac had been looking away. She ruffled a hoof across her skirt teasingly. "All this unnecessary foreplay is driving me nuts. Any objections to kicking this up a notch?"_

_Big Mac shook his head without hesitation. _

"_Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie gave a salute, beaming from ear to ear. "Now let's see here, where are those instructions?" Mac heard the shuffling of paper as Fluttershy's tongue danced around his mouth. "Aha! Here they are! It says: Insert rod 'A' into slot 'B'? Well I guess that makes sense! I hope you're ready!"_

_Mac grunted in affirmation, his mind bereft of rational thought. Nothing made any sense at all but he sure wasn't going to argue against it. Everything was just so…_

"_**Damn it, Mac!"**_

_Big Mac recoiled, turning his head towards the voice's origin. His heart leapt audibly in his chest as he noticed Applejack at his bedside, wearing a frown powerful enough to tear down a brick wall._

"_Ah know what it looks like," he began nervously, his mind running through all kinds of elaborate and implausible excuses. "Ah was just feelin' a little tensed up from workin' on the farm and they just offered…"_

_As he looked back around, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were gone. In fact, the entire bed was gone. _

"_Dang it, Applejack!" Mac cried out in frustration, clambering to his hooves. "Ain't ya got somepony else you could be cock-blockin' instead?"_

_Applejack was now over by the table with Rainbow Dash, downing a shot of rum. "What? Oh, for Pete's sake!" She shot him another stony glare. "Ah'm _fine _to stay here, Big Mac!"_

"_That's what you said last time," he said matter-of-factly. "An' we all know how that went."_

"_Alright… Alright!" Applejack slammed down her drink, rolling her eyes at Rainbow Dash. "Ah ain't even drunk, but alright," she said as she stumbled towards him. _

_Big Mac shook his head and followed her outside, briefly catching a glimpse of Pinkie Pie smiling cheerfully at him. He wished for a moment that he could stay and maybe have a drink with her, but he had to get his sister home. The two siblings began their trek, Applejack acting the right honourable drunken chatterbox._

"_Ah don't see why she don't just up an' say it! Darn it, ain't none of us gonna care if she's a lesbian. But _oh no, _Rainbow Dash has it in her head that she'll be cast out, called a failure an' beaten to death by the Wonderbolts. She don't seem to realise that Ah can see right through her fibs! Ah ain't the Element of Honesty for nothin'."_

"_Mm-hmm," Big Mac mumbled, only half-listening._

"_An' Fluttershy? Boy, has she got issues. Ah feel real sorry for the poor mare. You know when we was discussin'—"_

**Cock-a-doodle-do**

"—_which Ah kinda had a feelin' about before. Maybe she'd—"_

**Cock-a-doodle-do**

"—_seems to think Ah wouldn't notice somethin'—"_

**Cock-a-doodle-do**

"—_enough o' that. It ain't mah business to pry. Anyway, you got duties this time around. Time's a tickin', Mac. When are you gonna…"_

The dream slowly faded, the cottages and cobbled pathways of Ponyville disappearing before Mac's eyes. He sat up, relaying what had just happened. It was all so vivid, memories from the past meshing with nonsensical, outlandish desires. And yet, something stuck out to him. Determined not to let the dream fizzle into the mental ether, Mac replayed it over and over in his mind. _Was it a false memory, or did Applejack really say that? What was it she told me? There was somethin' about mah duties and then…_

"That's it," he said aloud, the answer finally dawning on him. "That's it!" Not wasting another moment, he barrelled downstairs and got to work.

* * *

Applejack let out a yawn and pulled herself out of bed. She arched her back and stretched out her limbs, grabbing her Stetson from atop the chest of drawers. After straightening it and checking herself in the mirror, she deemed herself presentable and began trotting downstairs. To her surprise, Applebloom and Granny Smith stood in the hallway, looking confused.

"Well howdy," Applejack greeted. "What's goin' on here?"

"Oh, Applejack!" exclaimed Applebloom. "Somethin's up with Mac! He's actin' all crazy like. He won't even take a moment to talk to us!"

Applejack raised her eyebrow and trotted on into the living room. "Mac? What in the hay is all this!?" she cried out.

Big Mac was scribbling furiously on a length of parchment with all manner of letters, envelopes, stationery, books and pictures strewn about. As Applejack stepped towards him he lifted his head up, a dumb grin plastered on his face. "AJ! Good mornin'!"

"Mornin'…" Applejack replied warily, taking a look at the mess before her. "So, uh… how did things go with you an'—"

"They didn't," Mac interrupted with, tossing the parchment aside and sifting through a book with worn edges.

"Well Ah'm sorry to hear that but—"

"S'alright," Mac shot back. "Ah've got it _all _under control."

Applejack frowned. "You sure everythin's alright?"

"Eeyup. Ah've got a plan, AJ. A plan to straighten everythin' out." Mac chuckled to himself, looking to Applejack with a devilish expression. "An' _you're _gonna help me."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Merrily, Merrily

_Two weeks later_

Fluttershy carefully broke off a few pieces of bread and placed them at the edge of the pond. "Here you are," she said cheerfully as a family of ducks approached, the four ducklings paddling excitedly as they tackled each other to reach their meal. She couldn't help but smile as the mother and father ducks quacked in thanks for her offering.

_Splash!_

"There you are!" Pinkie exclaimed as her entire loaf hit the water's surface. "How about that? I bet it's the biggest piece of bread you little ducks have ever seen!" The duck family looked between themselves confusedly before turning away.

"Sorry Pinkie," Fluttershy advised, flapping to her friend's side. "I think maybe that's a little _too _big."

"But I just thought it'd be so impressive! Just imagine if somepony baked a loaf of bread bigger than a pony! Wouldn't that be cool? I just thought it'd be nice to give the ducks that kind of experience!"

"Well I'm afraid the ducks would _probably _prefer it in itty-bitty pieces." Fluttershy glided across the lake, picked up the loaf and returned it to dry land.

Pinkie smiled sheepishly and tore off a few decently-sized pieces. "Like this?"

"That's much better," Fluttershy said with a nod, giving Pinkie a congratulatory pat on the back. "Though I do have to admit, a pony-sized loaf of bread would be really cool."

"Wouldn't it!?" Pinkie exclaimed, perking up considerably. "In fact, I should ask Mr and Mrs Cake if I can make one. I don't know if the ovens are big enough, but maybe I can work around that… I have pretty good secret techniques for that sort of thing. Hey, maybe I could make you one for your birthday! But now I'll have ruined the surprise!"

"It's up to you, Pinkie," Fluttershy said with a chuckle. "But I'm still not even sure something like that is possible."

"Since when have I been constrained by things that are possible?" Pinkie shot back, sticking her tongue out foalishly.

The two ponies waved goodbye to their feathered friends and trotted back towards Fluttershy's cottage, breathing in the crisp, clean air. It was a beautiful day, and so it only made sense for them to make the absolute most of it. They'd planned a picnic with Twilight and Octavia, who had only recently made it apparent to everypony that they were dating. While they _did _often keep themselves to their own devices and hadn't been particularly sociable with other ponies as of late, that was mostly due to their insistence on learning about each other's passions, which were hardly outdoor activities.

In a strange way, Pinkie and Fluttershy's friendship had taken on a similar guise, even if they weren't actually dating. The entire idea of 'best friend' was rather alien to the both of them, especially Pinkie. Neither of them had actually uttered the term itself, but they knew it all too well. Despite everything they'd been through and all the pain they'd endured, this reward seemed somehow worthwhile. Whether it was a new level of respect or simply a newfound realisation that they had more in common than they'd realised didn't matter. What mattered was that the simple act of being there for each other held more weight than ever before.

Neither of them had even so much as mentioned Big Mac in the past two weeks. Neither of them _wanted _to. For all intents and purposes, Pinkie's idea of pretending like it never happened was actually working quite well. They were happy. No more emotional outbursts, no bouts of crying…

Things were better.

* * *

"Oh… I've been asked about it so often but I couldn't even imagine how it would work." Octavia took a sip of orange juice before continuing. "I've never understood the fascination if I'm perfectly honest."

"But it would be so cool!" Pinkie exclaimed, jamming another cream cake down her gullet. "Classical meets dub-step? It's genius! Don't they have electric cellos? You could use one of those, touring Equestria! Scratchy and Tavia, live in concert!"

"With all due respect to Vinyl, I wouldn't feel comforting associating my music with that… _noise_. Besides, I wouldn't want to go on tour when I have everything I need right here in Ponyville." Octavia gave Twilight a knowing glance.

"_Ooh! _Get a room, you two!" Pinkie cried, nudging Twilight playfully.

"Bringing things back on topic," Twilight began, trying to forcefully brush her embarrassment away. "I actually think yours and Vinyl's music could accompany each other very well. There's a certain science with music, and provided the correct rhythm, complimentary notes and a well-woven tone, you could surely strike a chord with the audience, if you'll pardon the pun."

"There's more to music than just science, Twilight. No scientist could come up with any of Beethooven's symphonies using a mathematical equation. Then there's the fact that these 'wubs' as ponies call them hold no interest to me. I'm strictly classical to the bitter end."

"I'm much the same," Fluttershy said softly. "If I must say, the one time I heard you play always stuck out in my mind. It's often the violinists that take precedence over other string players, but you're in a whole other league. It kind of makes me want to take up a musical instrument, but I don't know if I'd be good enough…"

"It takes time," Octavia replied. "You'd really have to give it your all. It's not necessarily a question of innate skill but moreover a question of dedication. I guess you'd need to decide for yourself if that's what you'd want."

Fluttershy looked to Pinkie for a moment, almost as if the two were sharing a silent conversation. "Maybe not. I do kind of have other… _important_ things that I'd have to sacrifice. Besides, I could never deal with the pressure of performing on-stage. It's just not _me_."

The four ponies continued chatting away for another hour or so, basking in the sun and enjoying the various foodstuffs provided by both parties. Pinkie's selection of cream cakes stole the show, but Twilight's home-baked cinnamon buns were surprisingly good. Pinkie's little comedy routine was an all-round hit, sending Octavia into a breathless fit of giggles, which was far better than the reaction she'd gotten from Angel, at least. Octavia was more outspoken than anypony had expected, and despite only being a part of the group for such a short amount of time, Pinkie and Fluttershy could already feel a new and welcome friendship forming. Twilight seemed reserved, but more from contentment than depression. All in all, everypony was in high spirits. As the sun slowly drifted below the horizon they decided to go their separate ways.

Once at a fair distance, Pinkie couldn't help but blab about Twilight's obvious changes, to which Fluttershy hastily agreed. 'New Twilight' as Pinkie had dubbed her placed far less emphasis on studying. She was perkier, more energetic, and most importantly of all, she was _happier_. The way she smiled with such overwhelming honesty said more than words possibly could. Somewhat ironic then, that as that very conversation was going on, Twilight spoke at great length to Octavia about similar changes to some friends of her own.

* * *

"So you've added the eggs?"

Fluttershy nodded. "Mm-hm."

"And you've added the flour?"

Fluttershy nodded again. "Yes."

"And you've stirred it and stirred it until it's mixed up nice and gloopy?"

Fluttershy whipped the wooden spoon around the ceramic bowl once more for good measure. "Done."

"Now we just need a dash of salt!" Pinkie exclaimed, rapidly crushing up some salt rocks with her mortar and pestle before sliding it across the kitchen side.

"How much is a dash?"

Pinkie scratched her head. "Well… A dash is bigger than a pinch, but smaller than a sprinkle. Since a sprinkle is equal to five and a half pinches and two point two dashes equals a sprinkle; that means a dash is about two and a half pinches!"

Fluttershy furrowed her brow nervously for a moment and scraped a small amount of salt granules into the bowl. "There."

"That was more like two and a third pinches, but we'll let that slide since you're a beginner." Pinkie fumbled through some cupboards and dropped a plethora of new ingredients onto the workbench. "Good work. Now you'll just need a _splash_ of golden syrup."

Fluttershy rolled her eyes mirthfully. "And how much is a splash?"

"A splash? Oh, just however much you want. It's not like it's a defined measurement or anything."

Fluttershy looked on confusedly for a moment, but a smile quickly came to her face. "But I thought a splash was equal to ten drops, or four _smidges _if we're getting technical."

"Now that's just crazy talk!" Pinkie said with a wink, dipping a spoon into the pot of syrup and adding a totally nondescript amount. "It's three drops to a smidge, so that can't _possibly _be right."

The two mares started giggling as they added the final ingredients to the 'Cakes of Ultimate Natural Taste', (to which Fluttershy insisted the word 'of' be included as part of the acronym for reasons that Pinkie didn't appear to be aware of) doled out equal portions into a cake tin which was then placed into the oven.

"You know, you're doing pretty well!" Pinkie said, giving Fluttershy a congratulatory pat on the back. Such a gesture had become sort of a 'thing' between them. "Much better than Gummy, anyway. You can borrow my patented Pinkie Pie recipe book if you want." Pinkie reached to the top shelf and brought down a ring-bound scrapbook. The cover had a crudely drawn crayon picture of a flag bearing Pinkie's face placed atop a mountain of cakes. "It has _all _my secrets. Well, apart from my _really _secret recipes that I shall take to the grave!" Pinkie adopted a morbidly stern expression that quickly diminished. "You want it?"

Fluttershy smiled, taking the book from Pinkie's hooves and opening to a random page entitled _Honey-Nut Crisp Cakes_. There was an extremely detailed description of various ingredients and cooking steps, along with tiny pictures of Pinkie Pie toying with the oven and gorging on the cakes in question. "Wow," Fluttershy muttered, flicking through another few pages with her mouth agape. "There's so much in here. You worked really hard on this."

"Oh, it's nothing," Pinkie said dismissively. "So, do you want it?"

"Are you sure?"

"It's all yours! I don't need it anyway. I have a spare copy kept in a very safe place." Pinkie tapped her forehead with a hoof.

Fluttershy blushed lightly. "Thanks, Pinkie. I'm betting Angel would love some carrot cake. I tried baking him some before, but… They didn't turn out so well."

"Well we'd better get back to our own cakes now! Time is of the essence!"

Using her custom fluffy pink oven gloves, Pinkie opened up the oven and pulled out the cake tray, an irresistible aroma wafting throughout the entire kitchen in a matter of seconds. The two friends each took a deep breath, their senses overpowered by the heavenly scent. A spiral of smoke emanated from each delicious-looking golden brown cake, teasing the ponies' taste-buds.

Within a few minutes Pinkie declared the cakes ready to eat, and dived right in. "This is good," she muttered between loud chomps. "You're a real natural!"

Fluttershy took a small bite of her own cake and immediately smiled. "I can't believe it. I always thought my cooking was awful. Thank you so much for teaching me, Pinkie."

"Aw, don't be so silly! You did all the hard work; I just stood around and acted important. In fact, I'm not even sure you needed my help at all!"

"I don't know about that," Fluttershy said bashfully, taking one last bite. "Besides… It's a lot more fun baking with you than it is doing it alone."

Pinkie wrapped her friend in a tight cuddle, almost squeezing every last breath out of the poor pegasus. "I know! It's so true!" she cried joyfully. "Does that mean we can be baking buddies forever and ever and ever? Oh, please say yes! Please! With cherries on top!"

"Of… course…" Fluttershy squeaked, inhaling deeply as Pinkie finally loosened her grip. "With cherries on top."

In truth, both Pinkie and Fluttershy knew that they didn't even need to discuss such prospects. Neither needed to wonder if they would be 'baking buddies' or 'critter-feeding friends'. They were whatever they needed to be to spend time together. It wasn't out of a compulsion to please or even a desperation to reach out for fear of being alone. It was akin to the interlocking of two puzzle pieces. Together, they were something more.

Fluttershy had often been confused by the phrase 'like two peas in a pod', but now it was more apparent than ever. Who knew something so painful and tragic could bring two ponies so close? Those days felt like a distant memory. In fact, there wasn't such a thing as _those _days. There was only the now, and it was glorious.

As the sun fell beyond the horizon the two ponies parted ways, sharing a goodbye hug before Fluttershy slipped Pinkie's cookbook into her saddlebag and trotted home. She half expected Pinkie to leap out from behind the hedge at the end of the street in a surprise tackuddle, (a portmanteau word Pinkie had coined from 'tackle' and 'cuddle') but no such thing happened. Then again, it would hardly be a surprise if she was _expecting _it, which would go against Pinkie's entire philosophy.

Once she arrived home Fluttershy had to deal with a sleepy-eyed Angel who refused to go to bed, but eventually passed out in front of the roaring fire. Yep, he was back to his usual defiant self. That was good, she supposed. It meant he didn't _need _to show his ultra-sympathetic side. Not anymore.

With little more than the occasional chirps of birds and the hum of buzzing insects to break the silence, Fluttershy crept into bed, wrapping herself tightly in her duvet cover. For a while she just lay there, mulling over the day's events. Sure, it had been a far cry from staring down a dragon or going on wild adventures across Equestria, but that didn't make it any less important.

But then… There was still _something _that lingered in the back of her mind. Of course she hadn't forgotten Big Mac. Meeting up with Applejack was more than enough to remind her of everything, and she wasn't about to ignore or avoid her friend over such petty reasons. That said, the orange farm pony _did _seem to act a little cagey around her, almost as if she was hiding something, probably related to whatever Mac had said to her. She _was _his sister and closest companion, so it only made sense that he'd told her everything. Whatever it was, Fluttershy wasn't going to pry. They were still friends, and that was all that mattered.

She wasn't sure how much her other friends had been told, but they certainly made no effort to mention anything. That was good. If everyone treated it as if it'd never happened, then effectively, it hadn't. If anything, Twilight's relationship with Octavia had taken the spotlight. There were the obligatory lewd jokes from Rainbow Dash and some rather coerced acceptance on Rarity's part, but nothing much had changed between them.

Things weren't back to 'normal' per se, but that was a good thing. Fluttershy didn't feel worthless anymore. Sure, Big Mac hadn't accepted her feelings, but that wasn't the point. The idea that she was merely a placement in the background while her friends actually led lives had been swept away. Pinkie's newfound companionship was proof enough of that.

_Pinkie…_

Fluttershy's smile faded. Everything was perfect now. Pinkie was the best friend she could have ever asked for. But why? Was it just because she was wracked with guilt and was doing everything in her power to stay friends? Was it all a charade? Was she overcompensating for her past mistakes? Was she really being honest?

"_It's kind of weird," _Pinkie's words echoed in Fluttershy's mind. _"Sometimes you want something _so _much, but when you finally have it, it just doesn't seem that great anymore."_

Perhaps Pinkie was telling the truth. Maybe spending some alone time with Mac made her realise how little they actually had in common, or that her feelings were only ever skin deep. Maybe she'd already come to that conclusion before meeting him, but went to see him anyway just to apologise and set things straight.

Deep down, Fluttershy wanted to probe further, to ask Pinkie for an absolute explanation. But then what? What if she didn't like what she heard? No matter what Pinkie said, there would always be a lingering doubt about _something_, so it might not even be worthwhile. In fact, what positive outcome could there possibly be? Things were better now than ever, and bringing up the past could only serve to ruin it all. So then, it was better to simply do nothing.

Fluttershy would be lying if she said she'd lost all interest in Big Mac, (it was difficult to resist that chiselled physique and thick country accent, among _other_ things) but she no longer wasted her hours away daydreaming about him. The odd thought of him snuggled up next to her might cross her mind, but she would quickly shake it away, reminding herself that it _was _just some foalish crush. She hadn't missed out on the love of her life, that was for sure.

So all in all, what was there to complain about? _Nothing, _Fluttershy concluded. There were other, much nicer things to think about. Winter wrap-up wasn't far off, and it was always a pleasure to wake the cute little animals from their burrows. Pinkie was preparing another party (as always) and she could hardly wait to try out some of Pinkie's wacky and wonderful recipes. Slowly but surely, her smile returned and she drifted off into a deep sleep. Life was great.

* * *

Pinkie waved energetically from the doorstep of Sugarcube Corner, closing the door behind her as Fluttershy trotted out of sight. She quietly packed away the remaining cupcakes and spent an hour or so playing with Pumpkin and Pound. They were barely even a year old now, but Pinkie still marvelled at how fast they were growing up.

As Mr and Mrs Cake tucked their children in for the night, Pinkie decided to hit the hay as well. Not so much because she was tired, but because she could hardly wait for tomorrow to come. It wasn't exactly going to be the most magnificent of days; more work, perhaps an opportunity for experimental cooking, or even a chance to make new friends. But the sun shone brighter now than it ever had before. Not even her famous 'Pinkie sense' could accurately describe it.

Gummy was looking unusually vacant, so she gave him a quick cuddle before placing him in his basket. With that done, she rearranged her stuffed toys at the end of her bed and slipped beneath the covers, flicking off the light and flopping onto her pillow with a sigh.

Life was good. In fact, life was _great_. Before, the idea of spending so much time with Fluttershy gave way to visions of eventless tea-parties and trips to the spa. In a way, Pinkie felt bad for even thinking such things. She wished she could express how much Fluttershy had come to mean to her, but putting it into words was difficult. 'Best friends' was as close as Pinkie could manage, and even that felt like it was missing something important. As to what, she couldn't put her hoof on it.

_Fluttershy…_

Pinkie scrunched up her face as darkness fell, pulling herself tighter into the bedcovers. The sadness she'd felt just over two weeks ago couldn't be swept away so easily. Even remembering to 'smile, smile, smile' couldn't solve everything. Alone with nothing but her thoughts, memories of that fateful night were destined to rear their ugly head.

In truth, Pinkie's decision to turn Mac down wasn't made until the last moment. She'd gotten to Wicker Hill half an hour before their designated meet-up time, debating what she wanted to do next. She eventually considered that simply saying no was the easiest choice for everyone, but…

"_This could work. You an' me, Ah mean."_

Those words alone almost changed Pinkie's mind in an instant. She thought back to a comment her mother had made many years ago after discovering an entire 'zoo' of balloon animals hidden in Pinkie's room. "Pinkamena? Remind yourself to find a stallion who's either mad as a flannel or cool as a cucumber when you're older. Ain't nopony else could handle you," she'd said with a smirk, shaking her head as a helium-filled balloon in the shape of a parrot floated to the ceiling.

Pinkie hadn't taken note of her mother's words at the time; stallions were barely even an interest, even in her teenage years. Hearts and Hooves day was just another excuse to give presents, hugs, and cards covered in pink glitter. The idea of 'being' with somepony hadn't crossed her mind. Why be with one pony when she could be friends with _every_pony? It simply made no sense.

However, things _did _change. While Pinkie had always been remotely aware of Big Macintosh since her arrival in Ponyville, it wasn't until Twilight showed up and she found herself spending more time around Applejack that feelings began to surface. She didn't know what to make of things at first, chalking it up to a new Pinkie-sense that she hadn't experienced before. She could at least admit to herself that Big Mac was interesting, and definitely possessed an impressive physique. But it was more than that. He was always so calm and collected, barely saying a word but when he did, it mattered. Just a quiet, contented stallion who cared for his family and smiled politely. What thoughts he did have he kept to himself. He was such a _mystery_. And that, Pinkie supposed, had started the snowball tumbling. A pony that even _she _couldn't work out. So fascinating…

And that was all it took. Of course, he was nothing but an infatuation and Pinkie knew that. She had the occasional foalish daydream about cuddling up with him to stave away the winter chills. _That _wasn't love. She barely even knew him on a personal level. In the few times she'd gotten to speak with him he was tight-lipped to the extreme. If he could get through life with just 'eeyup' and 'eenope' then he would. So… What was the point? They didn't have a connection, no matter how much she envisioned one. There were so many fun things to do in life besides chasing non-descript stallions in the vain hope of something more. And the idea that he liked her back was impossible.

"_It was you. It was always you."_

But of course, it _wasn't_ impossible. Pinkie couldn't help but trawl through her memories, trying to recount events that might have let on to Mac's true feelings. A faint smile, a dreamy gaze, a light blush… Nothing sprang to mind. He really _was _a mystery, even to this day.

But that was all beside the point. It didn't matter if they shared feelings for each other. It didn't matter if they could've been a happy couple in years gone past. Things were the way there were, and things were great. Fluttershy was her very special somepony now. Not that there was anything romantic between them, but they were without a doubt 'special' to one another. As for Big Mac? He at least learned that mares would happily throw themselves at him left, right and centre, so it wasn't all bad for him either. Maybe one day they'd even look back on all this and just laugh. _Laughter is, and always has been the best medicine, _Pinkie mused to herself.

She settled into bed with a broad smile on her face, pushing those negative thoughts aside. All things considered, it could've ended up a lot worse. And yet, it couldn't have ended up a lot better. Not for all three of them, at least. Why wish for it to be different? Pulling her duvet into a tight bundle, Pinkie soon found residence in the land of nod. Life was great.

* * *

"So that's the plan." Big Mac leaned back into his chair and pressed his hooves together like an antsy foal. He looked across to his sister who wore an emotionless expression. "What do ya think?"

Applejack let out a weary sigh. "Ah gotta admit, Ah'm surprised."

"Surprised Ah could come up with such a great idea?"

"_No_, ya brain-dead idiot!" Applejack chided, banging a hoof down on the table beside them, scattering the papers that Big Mac had meticulously trawled over for what seemed like an eternity. "You've lost it, Mac. You've just _lost _it. Ah can't believe Ah agreed to help ya…"

Big Mac raised an eyebrow, seemingly unfazed by his sister's outburst. "But ya _did _agree to help."

"'Cause Ah thought you'd let this go! Ah had this _crazy _thought that you'd come to yer senses! Ya really think Fluttershy would—"

"Eeyup."

"And Pinkie would just—"

"Eeyup."

Applejack slumped into her seat and let out a sigh. "And here ya go again, countin' yer chickens 'fore they've hatched. If all this gets in the way of what's _s'posed _to happen… Well, Ah don't know what Ah'll do, but you won't like it!"

"Don't worry, little sis," Mac replied with a wave of his hoof. He gestured to a wad of papers clamped to a clipboard. "It's all taken care of."

"An' when your plan fails?" Applejack said with a piercing glare.

Big Mac rolled his eyes. "Aw, come on. Ya told me yourself that—"

"An' Ah'm regrettin' that already," Applejack interrupted, burying her face in her hoof. "Me an' mah big mouth. But whatever. So long as the whole darn event don't go plots up Ah ain't got a care in the world. We'll play your little charade an' Ah'll be there to say 'Ah told ya so' when it all goes wrong."

"Ain't gonna happen," Big Mac said with a grin, staring dreamily into the ether. "Ah've just got a good feelin' about this. Matter o' fact, this is the best plan _ever_."

* * *

_A few days later_

"Order… _up!_"

Pinkie whisked the newly baked batch of muffins from the oven. With one swift hoof strike she sent them flying into the air, and then caught them with a plastic tray clutched between her teeth. The small group of school-colts and fillies clapped their hooves and cheered at the display, some almost forgetting that they'd wanted food in the first place.

Sugarcube Corner was always abuzz just after the final school-bell had rung out, and today was no exception. Pinkie was up to her usual tricks, putting on quite the show as she served hungry little foals and parents alike. _You give a smile and get a smile_ was the main order of the day.

In the far corner sat Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Rarity, fussing over the mini buffet that Pinkie (and to a minor extent, Fluttershy) had prepared. No special occasion. Pinkie suddenly came up with an idea so her friends went along with it as per usual. Twilight had politely declined, hinting at spending some quiet time with Octavia now that Spike was handily "out of the way." Applejack was… _somewhere_. Probably far too busy with farmy, appley stuff. _But hey, _Pinkie thought, _four out of six isn't bad. _It was no secret that Rarity had taken full advantage of the occasion to escape from her troublesome sister, (of which she couldn't help but complain about) while Rainbow Dash took full advantage of the opportunity to stuff her face.

"Mm…" she exclaimed in delight, licking her hoof in an oh-so-unladylike way that made Rarity cringe. "These are _good_. You seriously made these, Fluttershy?"

"Um… kinda," Fluttershy replied, smiling to herself. "Pinkie did all the difficult stuff like the icing swirls and decorating. My hooves just aren't steady enough for that kind of thing."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes. "I'll bet you did more than your fair share." She slipped another cupcake into her mouth and chomped her way to its messy destruction.

Rarity subtly shifted her seat away from the 'brutish' pegasus and cleared her throat. "So Fluttershy. I was considering another trip to the spa this Saturday. I was thinking of splashing out a little and going for the deluxe treatment. Midday, perhaps?"

"Well, I'll have to wait and see. Pinkie and I have plans this weekend. We might be going on a trip and, if you don't mind…"

"Oh, no no no no, it's no bother. It was just an offer, you know. Merely a thought. A passing suggestion, if you will."

Fluttershy smiled and nodded before delving back into the sugary treats in front of her. The group fell silent for a few minutes as Rainbow Dash continued her confectionary onslaught and Fluttershy carefully picked her way through a muffin, keeping to herself in her usual way. Rarity, on the other hoof, was deep in thought, stuck somewhere between concern and curiosity. The three ponies were pulled from their respective reveries as Pinkie hopped to the table, mouth agape in a wide (and arguably terrifying) grin.

"Wow! You guys were hungry! There's barely anything left!"

"You can thank the wannabe Wonderbolt for that," Rarity said, having already pushed away a half-eaten cake thanks to losing her appetite for obvious reasons. "I must say, Rainbow Dash. I thought athletes were supposed to be on a strict diet?"

"Maybe for _wimpy _athletes. It doesn't matter what I eat; it all become fuel for flying in the end, and I can't get enough of _that_."

"Eat as much as you like, Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie beamed. "There's plenty more where that came from! Oh Fluttershy, could you lend a hoof for just a minute? I was about to make some black diamond truffles and I thought you might want to join me."

"Oh of course," Fluttershy said, stepping down from her seat. "I was so confused by the recipes. Are they hard to make or is it just me?"

"They're tricky customers alright." Pinkie quickly turned to the line of ponies queuing up to the main counter. "Not you guys! You're not tricky at all! You're _all _positively delightful! Say Fluttershy, why is there cake in your mane? Storing it away for later?" Pinkie said with a wink.

"Really?" Fluttershy said with a faint gasp, brushing a hoof through her mane as the both walked towards the kitchen. "That was probably Rainbow Dash. I must not have realised just how much mess she was making."

"No worries! In fact it's quite handy having it within reach." Pinkie sent her tongue across Fluttershy's mane in a twisted lick, somehow picking up all manner of crumbs and icing. Fluttershy blushed, but couldn't help but giggle at Pinkie's foalish demeanour as she licked her lips joyfully. "That's lunch for me out of the way! So how about we get started on those truffles? First of all, you need to…"

Rarity kept her eyes fixed on her two friends until they dropped out of sight, just beyond the door at the store's back-end. She shook her head and sighed dramatically. "I hope Twilight's escapades haven't started a new _trend _amongst our friends," she huffed disappointedly.

"What are you talking about?" Rainbow Dash said, letting out a crude burp. "Now Twilight's hooked up you think we're all gonna find ourselves somepony? What would be the problem with that?"

"That's not _quite_ what I was getting at," Rarity said, gesturing to the other side of the room with her eyebrows.

"Who? Pinks and Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash let loose a hearty chuckle. "They're hanging out more, sure, but it ain't 'cause of _that_. It's just after the whole…" She took a moment to check her surroundings, as if expecting certain ponies to magically appear within earshot. "…Big Mac thing. Not sure what happened there, but they seem happy enough. Probably lost interest in him or something."

"You really think?"

"Sure. Eh, maybe. What do I know? But I'm tellin' ya, it's not because they're _doing it_. And even if they were, what's the problem with that?"

"It's unruly, I know," Rarity said, looking a little ashamed. "I'm happy for Twilight. Really, I am. It's just… going to take some getting used to. I'm not _against_ mares being with mares and stallions being with stallions. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't just a little weirded out by it."

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "I guess I can understand that. So what, you were worried that 'cause of Twilight, Pinks and Fluttershy have caught 'the gay'?"

"Silly of me, I know. Maybe I'm reading into things the wrong way, or perhaps part of me is still disappointed that Fluttershy and Big Mac never got together. I made her a dress and _everything_!"

"That red one?" Rainbow Dash asked, grinning. "Oh yeah! I remember that! All silk and flowing and pretty? She looked so…" She trailed off, clearing her throat with a slight blush on her cheeks. "…cool. The dress was alright as far as girly dresses go, anyhow."

"I don't understand how it never worked. I've not been told every detail, but to my knowledge Big Mac was the one who rejected her. Maybe he already had a special somepony, but surely we'd have heard about it by now. We all know the Apple family breeds like rabbits; I could imagine Applejack shouting from the rooftops over possible nephews and nieces. But alas, Fluttershy may find love yet. Maybe we'll _all _find love yet." Rarity slumped to the table, looking a little disheartened.

"I'm sure she's in no rush," Rainbow Dash said casually, not seeming to notice her friend's glum expression. "If she wants to spend her time with Pinkie Pie instead of chasing stallions, I don't see a problem. She might not even _want _a special somepony."

"Yes. Maybe that's the case after all."

* * *

_I don't need a special somepony, _Fluttershy told herself. _I've never had one before, so why would I need one now? _It was a common train of thought for her ever since the incident. By her logic, if she kept telling herself that over and over, eventually it would become the truth. She'd have no lingering doubts, no sense of emptiness, no little questions popping up in the back of her mind, _and no feelings for Big Mac. None whatsoever. I have my friends, I have _Pinkie,_ and that's more than I could ever ask for. I don't need anypony I don't need anypony I don't need anypony I don't need…_

"I don't need this kind of attitude," she said sternly as she pushed a bowl of salad towards Angel. The ever moody bunny was being as stubborn as ever. "I promise you it's delicious. Now eat up."

Angel sat back and folded his paws defiantly, to which Fluttershy let out a short sigh. The batch of black diamond truffles that she'd attempted to make without Pinkie's help had gone awfully wrong, much to her dismay. She definitely lacked the magic touch that Pinkie seemed to have when it came to cooking. Angel was furious, especially since he'd been promised some. And so he'd continue his little sulk for a little while before caving in and eating the snack she'd prepared, just like always.

It was just approaching the evening, and with the animals all seen to and fed Fluttershy thought she'd top off the usual pleasant day with a few chapters from _Daring Do and The Silver Scales_. The series was fairly new to her. She could barely believe that innocent little foals would read such tales of horror and treachery, as it even scared her on occasion. Still, it gave her something to talk about with Pinkie, as well as keeping her mind off other _things_.

Just as Daring Do ambled around a Saddle Arabian village seeking out a shady merchant there was a knock at the door. "Just a moment," Fluttershy called out, marking her page and setting the book down. She opened the door, ready to greet her guest. She might have expected Pinkie to stop by, armed with a paper bag of leftover treats and a smile. Or perhaps even Rainbow Dash or Applejack. What she didn't expect was…

"Howdy, Fluttershy. Ah hope it's alright, but Ah could really use your help with somethin'…"

Fluttershy felt an involuntary shiver pass along her spine, hairs prickling up at the back of her neck. "Help? Help with… what?"


End file.
